Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 shakes Punjab, KP districts

Parts of Pakistan were hit with 5.6-magnitude earthquake on early Thursday morning, ARY News reported, quoting the Seismological Centre.

As per details, the earthquake tremors were felt in parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The quake’s epicentre was located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, at a depth of 69 kilometers.

Despite the moderate magnitude, the tremors were widely felt across the northern and central parts of Pakistan.

Tremors were reported in Upper Dir, Chitral, Shangla, Buner, Bajaur, and Ghizer, along with major urban centers including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujrat, Taxila, and Wah Cantt. In many areas, residents rushed out of homes and buildings in fear as the ground shook by reciting Kalma-e-Tayyaba.

This incident comes just two weeks after strong tremors were felt in Islamabad, Peshawar, and other parts of KP, prompting similar scenes of panic and prayer among residents.

Seismologists continue to monitor the region closely, which is prone to seismic activity due to its proximity to tectonic fault lines.

Earlier on April 12, an earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Islamabad and cities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) said that earthquake tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi Swat, Mansehra, Swabi, Mardan, Lakki Marwat and other KP cities.

The tremors were also felt in Karak, Chiniot, Mianwali, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala. Sangla Hill, Safdarabad, Pindi Battian and Attock.

“The center of earthquake was in the north west of Rawalpindi and depth was 12 kilometers.