ISLAMABAD (MNN); A strong earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck large parts of Pakistan on Friday night, with tremors felt across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the quake occurred at 9:13pm at a depth of around 190 kilometres, with its epicentre in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. The German Research Centre for Geosciences also recorded the tremor at a magnitude of 5.9 and a depth of 177 kilometres.
Strong jolts were reported in Peshawar, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera and Hangu, while tremors were also felt in Chitral, Lower Dir, Mardan, Haripur, Mansehra and Abbottabad. In Punjab, cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Attock, Okara, Kasur, Chiniot, Mianwali and Jhang experienced shaking.
Tremors extended to Muzaffarabad, Skardu and Ghizer, as well as Murree, Sheikhupura and Wazirabad. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, areas such as Bannu, Karak, Malakand and Landi Kotal also reported seismic activity.
Authorities, including provincial disaster management bodies, confirmed that no loss of life or major property damage had been reported, though the situation continues to be monitored.
Pakistan lies at the junction of the Arabian, Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, making it prone to frequent earthquakes. Just last week, a 5.3-magnitude quake had struck northern areas including Gilgit, Skardu and Balakot.
