Minor Earthquake Shakes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck portions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad on Monday.

As reported by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the seismic event occurred at 3:22pm at a depth of 215 kilometers, with its epicenter located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.

The tremor was widely felt across multiple districts, including Peshawar, Islamabad, Mansehra, Swat, Battagram, Abbottabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Multan, and the Potohar region, among others.

Following the earthquake, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa urged the public to contact their emergency helpline promptly if in need of assistance.

To date, Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has not received any reports of fatalities or significant property damage, according to a spokesperson.

Residents are encouraged to reach out to the PDMA Punjab helpline at 1129 for guidance or support related to the earthquake.

This incident follows a series of recent seismic activity, including a 5.7-magnitude earthquake in April that affected Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier that same month, the region experienced tremors from a 6.1-magnitude quake originating in the Hindu Kush.

Pakistan’s geographical position at the intersection of the Arabian, Euro-Asian, and Indian tectonic plates results in five distinct seismic zones across the country. The convergence of multiple fault lines leads to frequent tectonic shifts, making earthquakes a recurrent phenomenon in the region.

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