Tremors of 5.9-magnitude earthquake felt in twin cities, KP: PMD

Published
0

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday night said that tremors of a 5.9-magnitude earthquake were felt in the twin cities and areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A press release from the PMD said the quake originated at 9:56pm at a depth of 111 kilometres with its epicentre in the Hindu Kush region.

It said tremors were felt in Peshawar, Mansehra, Hangu, Abbottabad, Swat, Attock, Malakand, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

State broadcaster PTV News said on X that the tremors “lasted for several seconds” and caused citizens to come out of their homes.

A statement from the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority said it received initial reports of an earthquake from “all districts” of the province.

PDMA Director General Irfan Kathia said that the administration across Punjab was busy checking buildings and no damage had been reported so far.

“District Emergency Operation Centres across Punjab, including the provincial control room of PDMA, are on 24/7 alert. Damages due to earthquake can be reported on PDMA’s helpline 1129,” the statement said.

Today’s quake comes after the PMD said on Tuesday that tremors were felt in Peshawar, Mansehra and Islamabad after another earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan.

A PMD press release said the 5.4-magnitude earthquake had occurred at 5:30pm in southeastern Afghanistan at a depth of 22km with tremors felt all the way in Peshawar, Mansehra, Islamabad, Abbottabad and Swat.

Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey had reported it as a 5.2-magnitude earthquake 34km northeast of Jalalabad city in Nangarhar province.

The epicentre of the tremor was close to where a magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Afghanistan late on Sunday night, devastating remote areas in mountainous provinces near the border with Pakistan.

The PMD had reported four more minor quakes on Tuesday: a magnitude 3 with the epicentre 24km northeast of Pattan at a depth of 46km at 7:10pm, a magnitude 4 in southeastern Afghanistan at 2:50pm at a depth of 97km, a magnitude 5.4 in China’s Xinjiang at 12:59pm at a depth of 10km and a magnitude 4.4 in southeastern Afghanistan at 12:25pm at a depth of 20km.

Opinion

Editorial

Need for dialogue
06 Aug, 2026

Need for dialogue

THE interior minister’s comments at an Islamabad seminar last week have sparked many a conversation about the ...
Bad press
06 Aug, 2026

Bad press

THE government’s move to impose restrictions on international media will not only alienate the foreign press, it...
Automobile concerns
06 Aug, 2026

Automobile concerns

PAKISTAN’S automobile industry is at a critical juncture. Sharp cuts in tariffs on the import of completely built...
State of confusion
Updated 05 Aug, 2026

State of confusion

FROM the looks of it, America has no exit strategy to extricate itself from the disastrous war with Iran. US...
Pension decision
05 Aug, 2026

Pension decision

THE government’s decision to formally operationalise the new Defined Contribution Pension Fund Scheme is a step...
Preventable deaths
05 Aug, 2026

Preventable deaths

THE deaths of 144 children from measles and diphtheria in Karachi during the first seven months of the year expose a...