QUETTA: A mild earthquake struck the western region of Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Wednesday, causing tremors in the Qila Saifullah area. This event marks the second seismic occurrence in the province this week, raising slight concerns among residents in the geologically active region.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) National Seismological Centre, the earthquake registered a magnitude of 3.1 on the Richter scale. The tremor originated at a shallow depth of approximately 16 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface. The epicenter was pinpointed to be about 100 kilometers northeast of Muslim Bagh, a town in the Pishin District.
Initial reports from local authorities indicate no immediate casualties or significant damage to property due to the quake’s moderate strength. Residents reported feeling noticeable shaking, a common experience in Balochistan, which lies atop significant tectonic fault lines.
This recent tremor follows a slightly stronger earthquake recorded just two days earlier on Monday. That seismic event, centered 47 kilometers southeast of Dalbandin in the Chagai district, measured a magnitude of 4.2. It occurred at a deeper depth of 66 kilometers and was felt in Dalbandin and surrounding areas. Similarly, no losses were reported from that incident.
Seismologists note that both events are part of the regular seismic activity characteristic of the region, where the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate. While this week’s earthquakes were relatively minor, they serve as a reminder for provincial disaster management authorities to maintain public awareness and preparedness for potential, more significant seismic events in the future.
