5.9-magnitude quake jolts KP, parts of Punjab

ISLAMABAD: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Pakistan on Saturday morning, causing panic across major cities including Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and several areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, reports Geo News.

The tremors, the third in a week, recorded at 11:47am, prompted residents to rush out of their homes and workplaces in fear.

According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the epicentre was located near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, with a depth of 94 kilometres at latitude 36.21 N and longitude 71.34 E.

Strong tremors were felt in Lower Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Nowshera, Dir Bala, Shabqadar, Mohmand, Chitral, Swat, Swabi, Gilgit and Mardan. Additional shocks were also reported in Punjab’s Chiniot, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Bhalwal, and Mansehra, as well as the Neelum Valley’s Athmuqam area in Azad Kashmir.

“It was brief but a powerful one. I felt the entire bed shake and had to quickly run out of our house with my family. Thankfully, it was brief and quickly over,” said Shahjahan Khurram, a 33-year-old resident of Bahria Enclave, Islamabad.

“We felt a single jolt, which was intense but brief. As soon as the tremor was felt, people rushed out of the office in panic,” Ayesha Rehman, whose office is in Blue Area, said.

Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.

Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a magnitude of 5.7 earthquake, 53 kilometres south southwest of Ashkasham in Afghanistan. The survey showed the epicentre near to the Pak-Afghan border. The latest tremors add to the troubling natural phenomenon-related experiences of the residents — especially that of KP, Punjab and Islamabad — who were jolted by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake on April 12, followed by another set of tremors on April 16 measured at 5.3 on Richter scale.

For the people living in the federal capital, Saturday’s earthquake also comes against the backdrop of recent havoc witnessed by the city due to a heavy hailstorm on April 16 which left behind a trail of destruction that included smashed car windscreens, damaged solar panels, and broken tree branches.

The whole country is experiencing rather extreme weather conditions with hailstorms and heavy rains forecast for parts of Punjab and Islamabad in contrast to heatwave-like conditions expected in Karachi amid persisting scorching heat in South Punjab and parts of Sindh.