5.7-magnitude earthquake jolts Islamabad, parts of KP: PMD

Published April 27, 2026 Updated April 27, 2026 01:40pm
This screengrab taken from USGS website shows the epicentre of the earthquake that struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on April 27, 2026. — via USGS
This screengrab taken from USGS website shows the epicentre of the earthquake that struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on April 27, 2026. — via USGS

Tremors were felt in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday as an earthquake of 5.7 magnitude struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said.

In a statement, the PMD said the quake was recorded at 11:46am. It added that the epicentre was located near Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan and had a depth of 170 kilometres.

According to PMD, jolts from the earthquake were felt in Islamabad, Swat, Shangla and Buner.

However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake’s magnitude as 5.1 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre having a depth of 105.1km.

Residents of Islamabad and KP had last felt earthquake tremors on April 3, when an earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hit the Hindu Kush Region in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Balochistan also witnessed two quakes.

Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region.

Opinion

Editorial

Pathways to peace
Updated 27 Apr, 2026

Pathways to peace

NEGOTIATIONS to hammer out the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement took nearly two years before a breakthrough was achieved....
Food-insecure nation
27 Apr, 2026

Food-insecure nation

A NEW UN-backed report has listed Pakistan among 10 countries where acute food insecurity is most concentrated. This...
Migration toll
27 Apr, 2026

Migration toll

THE world should not be deceived by a global migration count lower than the highest annual statistics on record —...
Immunity gap
Updated 26 Apr, 2026

Immunity gap

Pakistan’s Big Catch-Up campaign showed progress but also exposed the scale of gaps in routine immunisation.
Danger on repeat
26 Apr, 2026

Danger on repeat

DISASTERS have typically been framed as acts of nature. Of late, they look increasingly like tests of preparedness...
Loose lips
26 Apr, 2026

Loose lips

PAKISTANIS have by now gained something of an international reputation for their gallows humour, but it seems that...