By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan’s capital region and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday night, sending residents into the streets as tremors reverberated through Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and surrounding areas, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
The quake, centered in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, marked the latest in a series of seismic events this week that have kept the region on edge.
The PMD reported that the earthquake hit at 9:56 p.m. local time, originating at a depth of 111 kilometers. Its epicenter was located in the rugged Hindu Kush, a seismically active area known for frequent quakes. Tremors rippled across a wide swath of northern Pakistan, shaking cities and towns including Peshawar, Mansehra, Hangu, Abbottabad, Swat, Attock, Malakand, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad. In Punjab, jolts were felt in Mianwali, Chakwal, Talagang, Kallar Kahar, and Multan. Residents in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Neelum Valley and Dhirkot also reported feeling the shocks.
In the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the strong tremors prompted residents to rush outdoors, seeking safety in open spaces. Similar scenes unfolded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Peshawar, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Bajaur, Mohmand, Shabqadar, Charsadda, Parachinar, Nowshera, Hangu, and Kohat, where the ground shook with unsettling force.
Thursday’s quake follows a 5.4-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday that struck southeastern Afghanistan, with tremors felt in Peshawar, Mansehra, Islamabad, Abbottabad, and Swat, the PMD said. That quake, centered at a shallower depth of 22 kilometers. The US Geological Survey (USGS), however, recorded it as a 5.2-magnitude event, located 34 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.
The region has been rattled by a string of quakes this week. On Sunday night, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake, one of Afghanistan’s deadliest in recent years, devastated remote mountainous areas of of Kunar and Nangarhar provinces near the Pakistan border, causing significant damage in isolated communities. Afghan authorities confirmed death toll topped 2,200, with at least 3,640 people injured.
The PMD also reported four additional minor quakes on Tuesday: a 3.0-magnitude tremor 24 kilometers northeast of Pattan at a depth of 46 kilometers; a 4.0-magnitude quake in southeastern Afghanistan at a depth of 97 kilometers; a 5.4-magnitude quake in China’s Xinjiang at a depth of 10 kilometers; and a 4.4-magnitude quake in southeastern Afghanistan at a depth of 20 kilometers.
The Hindu Kush, where Thursday’s quake originated, is a hotspot for seismic activity due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The region’s deep faults frequently produce earthquakes, some of which are felt across northern Pakistan and beyond. While Thursday’s quake was relatively deep, reducing the likelihood of widespread damage, its intensity was enough to spark alarm among residents already rattled by recent events.
No immediate reports of injuries or significant damage emerged late Thursday, but local authorities said they were monitoring the situation. The PMD and other agencies urged residents to remain vigilant, given the region’s ongoing seismic activity.
Pakistan’s northern regions and Afghanistan’s mountainous provinces have a history of destructive earthquakes. The 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which killed tens of thousands and left millions homeless, remains a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability.
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