LAHORE: A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck northwestern parts of Punjab, Peshawar and Islamabad on Saturday.
The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that no casualties or property damage were reported.
Tremors were felt around 12:30pm in major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat and Faisalabad, with the strongest shaking reported in Rawalpindi and Attock.
In KP, tremors were felt in Haripur, Abbottabad, Attock, Swat, Malakand, and Peshawar, according to the National Seismological Centre.
The earthquake measured 5.5 on the Richter scale, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC).
However, according to the United States Geological Survey, the quake measured 5.0 on the Richter scale and had a depth of 39.2km.
A PDMA spokesperson said the quake’s epicentre was 60km northwest of Rawalpindi.
The PDMA said its central control room and all 36 district emergency operation centres were activated and Rescue 1122 teams and machinery were put on standby for aftershocks. The agency said that the building inspections were underway in urban centres.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said teams were monitoring seismic activity 24/7 and the disaster response system was fully operational.
In several areas of Peshawar and Islamabad, the quake caused panic among residents who swiftly exited their homes and offices, PTV News channel reported.
Meanwhile, the Earthquake Quick News and Research Centre claimed to have forecast Saturday’s earthquakes.
During a press conference at the National Press Club, centre’s CEO Muhammad Shehbaz Leghari said they had predicted seismic activity between April 8 and 11, with an estimated magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale in “northern to southern parts” of the country, APP reported.
Pakistan recorded around 20 low-intensity earthquakes in the first half of February — an average of more than one tremor each day. However, experts say such minor seismic activities “preempt” high-intensity earthquakes by constantly releasing accumulated energy within the tectonic plates.
According to NSMC, the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region also felt minor quakes earlier in the day. The border region experienced a 3.8-magnitude jolt at 11:26am, with a depth of 109km. Another 4.3-magnitude earthquake with a depth of 88km jolted the region at 11:54am.
With additional input from APP
Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2025
