5.2 magnitude quake jolts parts of KP, AJK

ISLAMABAD: A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), including Peshawar and Muzaffarabad, on Thursday, causing fear and panic among residents.

According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre in Islamabad, the earthquake’s epicentre was in the border region between Afghanistan and Tajikistan at a depth of 212 kilometres. Earthquake tremors were felt in Peshawar, North Waziristan, Lower Dir, Malakand, AJK’s Neelum Valley and its suburban areas. Residents came out of their homes and offices in panic. However, no casualty or loss of property has been reported in any area so far. It was the second earthquake in a month in KP as a 5.3-magnitude quake shook several areas of the province two weeks ago, including

Peshawar, Mohmand, Shabqadar, Attock, Swat, Shangla, Buner, and Abbottabad. Meanwhile, in September, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake had jolted the federal capital and parts of Punjab and KP. Earthquakes are not uncommon in Pakistan, as the country is situated on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Large parts of South Asia are seismically active because a tectonic plate known as the Indian plate is pushing north into the Eurasian plate.