ISLAMABAD: A 6.0-mag­n­itude earthquake shook buildings in different parts of the country on Thursday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Depa­rtment (PMD).

The tremors were caused by a powerful earthquake which hit northeastern Afgha­nistan, shaking buildings from the capital Kabul to Islamabad in Pakistan.

Lahore and its adjacent areas experienced a strong earthquake at around 2:30pm on Thursday, but no reports of casualties or financial losses were received from across Punjab.

The seismic intensity recorded on the Richter scale is 6.0 while the epicentre of the earthquake was in the Hindu Kush region of Pak-Afghan border at a depth of 213km. Its longitude and latitude were 70.63 East and 36.16 North, respectively.

According to the PMD, the seismic activity was felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Muzffe­rabad, Peshawar, Chilas, Quetta, Zhob, Charat and other cities.

According to a spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab, the strong tremors lasted at least five to six seconds before subsiding. In the capital city, people were seen coming out of high-rise buildings.

The PDMA is actively checking the structural integrity of buildings throughout Punjab and machinery and personnel are on alert for post-quake assessments, the authority’s spokesperson said.

District emergency operation centers, including PDMA’s provincial control room, are on 24/7 alert across Punjab and information on earthquake damages can be reported to helpline 1129, said spokesperson.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2024