A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and surrounding regions shortly after midnight, marking the second tremor in 48 hours to jolt northern Pakistan, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Sunday.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) confirmed the quake occurred at 12:10 am Sunday at a depth of 10 kilometres, with the epicentre located 15 km southeast of Rawat.
Residents in Attock, Swabi, Zafarwal, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir towns, including Jhelum, Swat, Malakand, Mansehra, Buner, and Kohistan, also reported feeling the shocks.
Fortunately, no immediate reports of casualties or infrastructure damage have been received.
The tremor follows a 5.5-magnitude earthquake early Saturday morning, which had originated from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, at a depth of 114 kilometres, jolting KP, AJK, and the federal capital around 2:03 am.
These back-to-back seismic events are the latest in a series of tremors to hit Pakistan’s north. P
revious quakes this summer included a 4.7-magnitude jolt in Peshawar on June 11 and a 5.3-magnitude quake in May that shook Islamabad, Mardan, Nowshera, and North Waziristan.
Experts advise residents in quake-prone areas to remain alert and ensure emergency preparedness, especially in light of ongoing seismic activity in the Hindu Kush fault zone.
No official emergency has been declared, but authorities are monitoring the situation closely.