A strong earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck several regions of Pakistan on Saturday morning, sending waves of panic through major cities such as Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and various areas across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. This marks the third quake to hit the country in under a week. The tremors, which occurred at 11:47 AM, led many residents to rush out of homes, offices, and buildings fearing potential aftershocks.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) reported the quake’s epicentre near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, at a depth of 94 kilometers, located at latitude 36.21 N and longitude 71.34 E.
Strong shaking was felt in Lower Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Nowshera, Dir Bala, Shabqadar, Mohmand, Chitral, Swat, Swabi, Gilgit, and Mardan.
In Punjab, tremors were reported from Chiniot, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Bhalwal, and Mansehra, while Athmuqam in Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, also experienced the quake.
Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage.
