5.9-magnitude earthquake shakes Islamabad, Rawalpindi and parts of KP

ISLAMABAD: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Thursday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

The PMD said the quake’s epicentre was in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 111 kilometres.

People reported tremors in Peshawar, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Shabqadar, Charsadda, and Parachinar, as well as in Nowshera, Hangu, and Kohat. Shocks were also felt in Mansehra, Abbottabad, Swat, and Attock.

In Punjab, residents of Mianwali, Chakwal, Talagang, Kallar Kahar, and nearby areas felt the quake, while people in Multan also reported tremors. In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, strong shocks sent many rushing out of their homes and offices in fear.

Tremors were also felt in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Neelum Valley and Dhirkot. So far, no reports of casualties or damage have come in.

Pakistan and Afghanistan often experience earthquakes because the region lies on a major fault line where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

The tremors follow a much stronger earthquake that hit eastern Afghanistan last weekend. The Taliban government has now confirmed that over 2,200 people were killed and 3,640 were injured, making it one of the deadliest quakes in the country’s history. Most of the victims were from Kunar province, where entire villages were flattened when the magnitude-6.0 quake struck late Sunday night.

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