Earthquake Strikes Islamabad, KP; Origin in Hindu Kush

News Desk

Islamabad: A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, on Tuesday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). So far, no reports of casualties or property damage have been received. Tremors were also felt in Mansehra, Swat, Chitral, and Abbottabad.

The PMD stated that the quake occurred at 10:20 AM, with its epicentre located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 190 kilometres.

This recent seismic event follows a 5.5-magnitude earthquake that hit northern Pakistan in early August, causing homes to shake across multiple cities and towns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. That quake also originated from the Hindu Kush region at a depth of 114 kilometres and was felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Charsadda, and Karak.

These tremors are part of a pattern of increased seismic activity in northern Pakistan in recent months, mostly linked to the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck Peshawar on June 11. In May, a 5.3-magnitude tremor was felt in Islamabad and several KP districts, including Mardan, Swat, Nowshera, Swabi, and North Waziristan—both with deep epicentres in the Hindu Kush.

In April, two more significant earthquakes were recorded: a 5.5-magnitude quake on April 12, followed by a 5.3 on April 16. Tremors were reported in KP, Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and the federal capital.

Pakistan lies on a major seismic fault line where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the northern region especially prone to earthquakes.

Meanwhile, Karachi has experienced unusual seismic activity this year, with over 30 mild tremors recorded over just a few days. Experts attribute this to movements along the long-inactive Landhi Fault Line.