5.5-magnitude quake hits Afghanistan, tremors felt in parts of Pakistan

Islamabad: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 has hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, sending tremors across Pakistan’s Islamabad, Peshawar, and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday, according to local media reports.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 199 kilometres and measured 5.5 in magnitude, reports leading Pakistani media outlet Geo TV.

Swat, Hangu, North Waziristan and Chitral felt tremors, while residents of Rawalpindi experienced shaking, the media report said.

While there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the report noted that the epicentre was located in the Koh Hindu Kush region.

Authorities have also confirmed that there was no loss of life or property so far following the earthquake.

The report also highlighted that there was a similar incident earlier this month in which an earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hit Islamabad, parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

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This earthquake originated in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 190km, according to the PMD. The report also mentioned the cities Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad and Skardu also experienced tremors.

It also mentioned that there was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in February this year, which jolted Islamabad, Swat, and Hunza.

It is mentioned in the report that “Pakistan’s susceptibility to earthquakes stems from its location along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country has experienced multiple devastating quakes in recent decades.”

The expert warned that preparedness is critical as the earthquake-prone regions of Pakistan are located in rugged terrain, which makes the relief efforts complicated.