Earthquake Jolts parts of Punjab, KP and AJK

SLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/LAHORE: A moderate 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted major cities across Punjab,  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir  (AJK) including Islamabad, Peshawar, and Lahore, on Saturday evening, ARY News reported.

In KP, strong tremors were felt in Swat, Kohat, Lower Dir, Shangla, Besham, Chitral, Bajaur, Mardan, South and North Waziristan, and Dera Ismail Khan.

The panic was visible as KP assembly members abruptly vacated their seats and rushed out of the building mid-session. Consequently, Deputy Speaker Suraya Bibi announced a five-minute break to allow everyone to reach safety.

The earthquake was also felt across various cities in Punjab, including Chakwal, Sheikhupura, Dipalpur, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Mureee and their surrounding areas.

Besides that the tremors were also felt in Chiniot, Jalalpur Bhatiian, Farooqabad.

As tremors shook the region, frightened residents rushed out of their homes into open spaces, reciting prayers (Kalima Tayyaba). According to the Seismological Center, the earthquake struck at a deep depth of 230 kilometers while tis epicenter was Koh-e-Hindukash in Afghanistan.

Earlier in the day official said that in strong tremors in Musakhel in Balochistan on Saturday morning more than 90 houses were collapsed to rubble or thoroughly damaged.

Assistant Commissioner Najeebullah Kakar said that more than 20 people were injured, including women and children, as houses collapsed in the area. “The communication links to far-flung areas of the region still not restored,” official added.

According to earlier reports at least three persons were injured in earthquake tremors in various parts of Balochistan, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.

The 5.1 magnitude earthquake tremors recorded by the National Seismic Monitoring Centre. “The epicentre of the quake was at the distance of 58 kilometers in the northeast of Barkhan district,” the NSMC said.

The tremors were felt on Saturday morning in Musakhel, Barkhan, Rakhni and Kohlu, PDMA said. “There are reports of damage to the houses caused by the tremors in different areas of Musakhel,” according to the disaster management authority.

The losses also reported in Kangari, Rarasham and Kajhori areas. “The relief teams have been dispatched to quake-hit areas for rescue and relief operations,” PDMA further said.

Kohlu and adjoining areas in Balochistan were jolted again and again three times on Friday, ARY News reported.

The first tremors were felt at 10:25 am, the second at 10:58 am, and the third at 4:49 pm, according to reports.

Quake tremors were also felt in other parts of Balochistan.

According to the meteorological department, the affected areas included Zhob, Barkhan, and Rakhni.

The Met Department further added that the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 60 km northeast of Kohlu.

The intensity of the tremors was recorded at 5.1 on the Richter scale, while its depth was 17 km.