ISLAMABAD: Six medium-sized earthquakes have rattled various parts of Pakistan since yesterday, with tremors felt across the federal capital, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, according to the Seismological Center.
The strongest quake, measuring 5.9 magnitude, struck at 6:35 PM with its epicenter in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 178 kilometers. Severe tremors were reported in Islamabad, Lahore, and multiple cities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Earlier in the day, another earthquake of 5.2 magnitude was recorded in Balochistan’s Kohlu area, with its epicenter traced to the Barkhan region, the Meteorological Department confirmed. Strong tremors were also felt in Multan and surrounding areas, lasting several seconds.
Chief Meteorologist Amir Haider Leghari stated that a total of five medium-sized earthquakes have been recorded in Balochistan since yesterday, describing it as an ongoing seismic sequence.
Geologists attribute the recent tremors to underground energy waves generated by Wednesday’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude. These waves are now being transmitted to connected tectonic plates, triggering earthquakes in Pakistan.
“Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are located on the Eurasian Tectonic Plate, and all these recent earthquakes are occurring on the upper surface of this plate,” experts explained.
Historically, a similar pattern was observed between 2000 and 2011, when the catastrophic 2005 Kashmir earthquake was caused by underground energy from a major earthquake in Indonesia.
Experts have warned that until these underground energy waves are fully dissipated, the possibility of further moderate earthquakes on the Eurasian plate will remain. However, they emphasized that it is scientifically impossible to predict the exact time and intensity of an earthquake.
