- No loss of life reported from tremors that causes widespread fear and panic
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: A powerful earthquake measuring 5.9 on Richter Scale jolted Islamabad, Lahore, and several cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), causing widespread fear.
The tremors, the third in a week, were recorded at 11:47am, forcing residents to rush out of their homes and workplaces in fear, reciting Kalma Tayyaba and verses from the holy Quran.
According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, epicenter of the earthquake was located near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, with a depth of 94 kilometres at latitude 36.21 N and longitude 71.34 E.
Tremors were felt in several parts of the country, including Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Murree, Peshawar, Lower Dir, Bajaur and Malakand. Several parts of Punjab including Okara, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Toba Tek Singh and Chiniot also were shaken.
People in the affected areas moved out of their houses and workplaces in panic. Authorities have reported that the depth of earthquake was 94 kilometres and the epicentre was Afghanistan-Tajikstan border. Tremors were also felt in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad city.
Several incidents of tremors in parts of Pakistan have been reported in the last 10 days.
On April 16, an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the scale struck federal capital Islamabad and several cities in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir in the wee hours.
Tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Zafarwal, Sarai Alamgir, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Chitral, Shangla, Malakand, Muzaffarbad, Bhimber, and several other cities.
No loss of life and property was reported from any part of the country.
According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad, the epicentre of the earthquake was located in the Hindukush Mountain range in Afghanistan at the depth of 121 kilometres.
Earlier on April 12, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit Islamabad and several parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In Punjab, tremors were felt in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Sangla Hill, Chakwal, Hafizabad, Shiekhupura, Gujrat, Gujranwala, and other cities. The earthquake jolted Swabi, Haripur, Abbottabad, Swat, Malakand, Mardan, Lakki Marwat and other cities of KP.
The epicentre of the earthquake was located 60km northwest of Rawalpindi while it occured at a depth of 12 kilometres. On March 31 last, a 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck parts of Karachi. The Meteorological Department said in a statement that tremors were felt in some areas of Karachi. According to the Seismological Centre, the earthquake measured 4.7 on the scale, the depth of the earthquake was 19 kilometres, and the epicentre was 75 kilometres north of Karachi.
