Strong tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Tuesday morning after a moderate earthquake struck the region, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed.
According to the PMD, the quake occurred at 10:20 am PST, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was located in the Hindu Kush mountain range of Afghanistan at a depth of 190 kilometers.
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Residents in Peshawar, Swat, and Abbottabad also reported feeling the tremors. However, no loss of life or property has been reported so far.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab confirmed that all districts are on alert and precautionary inspections of buildings are underway. “District administrations across Punjab are inspecting buildings as a precautionary measure. The provincial control room and all district emergency centers are active around the clock,” said PDMA DG Irfan Ali Kathia.
Seismologists noted that the Hindu Kush region is prone to deep-focus earthquakes, usually occurring between 150 to 250 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface. The last significant tremor was recorded in May this year, measuring 5.5 magnitude, which jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several districts across Punjab and
K-P.
