5.5-Magnitude Tremor Ripples Across Northern Pakistan
News Desk
Islamabad: A powerful 5.5-magnitude earthquake originating deep beneath Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region rattled large parts of northern Pakistan on Saturday, once again underscoring the country’s persistent vulnerability to seismic activity.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the earthquake struck at a depth of 199 kilometres, with its epicentre located in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
Despite the considerable depth, which often reduces surface damage, tremors were widely felt across Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and multiple districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Swat, Hangu, North Waziristan, and Chitral.
Authorities reported no immediate casualties or infrastructure damage, but the widespread reach of the tremors caused panic among residents, many of whom rushed out of homes and offices as buildings swayed briefly.
Seismologists note that deep-focus earthquakes, like this one, tend to be felt across broader regions due to the way seismic waves travel through the earth’s interior.
The Hindu Kush region is a known hotspot for such quakes, frequently sending tremors across Pakistan and neighbouring countries.
Pakistan sits along the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it particularly prone to earthquakes. Saturday’s tremor follows a pattern of recurring seismic events in recent months, including a 6.1-magnitude quake earlier this month that affected wide swathes of the country.
The memory of past disasters continues to loom large. The devastating 2005 Kashmir earthquake remains one of the deadliest in the region’s history, while more recent quakes in Balochistan and northern areas have highlighted gaps in preparedness and response.
Experts warn that while no damage was reported this time, the recurring nature of such events should serve as a reminder for authorities to strengthen early warning systems, enforce building codes, and improve disaster readiness, particularly in mountainous regions where rescue operations remain challenging.
As seismic activity continues to rattle the region, preparedness, rather than prediction, remains Pakistan’s most reliable defence.
