An earthquake shook several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab on Saturday evening.
The tremors measured 5.9 in magnitude and were felt across a wide region. The quake originated from the Hindu Kush area in Afghanistan, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Strong jolts were reported in cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Mansehra, Swat, Shangla, Chakwal, Sheikhupura, Jhang, Abbottabad, Taxila, Haripur and Buner. People in many areas felt the ground shaking for a few seconds, which caused panic but no major damage was reported.
Officials said the earthquake struck at around 6:35 pm with a deep focus of 178 kilometers. This deep origin reduced the impact on the surface, which is one reason why no casualties or serious destruction were confirmed.
The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that emergency teams were active and checking buildings in affected areas. Control rooms remained on high alert to respond quickly if needed. Rescue 1122 also confirmed that no injuries or property damage had been reported so far.
Read more: Kohlu jolted a gain as third earthquake hits Balochistan in two days
Earlier in the day, two separate earthquakes hit parts of Balochistan, including Barkhan and nearby districts. Those quakes caused minor injuries to at least three people and were felt in surrounding areas such as Kohlu, Rakhni and Musakhail.
Different monitoring agencies reported slightly different readings for the Balochistan quakes, but all confirmed moderate seismic activity in the region. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.Â
So far, officials have not reported any major losses from the latest tremors in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Emergency teams remain on standby as aftershocks are still possible in the affected regions.
