A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad and several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), causing tremors that were felt across multiple northern regions.
The PMD said the earthquake struck at 11:46am with its epicentre located near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region at a depth of around 170 kilometres. The tremors were felt in Islamabad as well as Swat, Shangla, and Buner districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
However, the United States Geological Survey reported a slightly different measurement, recording the quake at magnitude 5.1 with a shallower depth of 105.1 kilometres.
Residents in Islamabad and parts of KP reported brief but noticeable shaking, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage.
This is not the first seismic activity in the region this month. Earlier tremors were also felt following a 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, which affected parts of Pakistan on April 3. Balochistan has also experienced multiple minor quakes recently.
Pakistan lies on the collision zone of major tectonic plates, including the Arabian, Eurasian, and Indian plates, making the region prone to frequent seismic activity. Experts note that this geological positioning results in regular earthquakes of varying intensity across the country.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation, while disaster management teams remain on alert in case of aftershocks.
