A powerful earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale shook Islamabad and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday, sending people rushing out of buildings in panic.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the quake originated at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometres. Strong tremors were felt in Islamabad, Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), however, reported a slightly higher magnitude of 5.9, estimating the quake’s depth at about 35 kilometres and locating its epicentre roughly 50 kilometres north-northwest of Barishal.
This incident follows a 5.2-magnitude earthquake that rattled parts of Karachi on December 16, 2025, which also caused widespread fear among residents.
Officials from the PMD later clarified that the earthquake’s epicentre lay near Sonmiani in Balochistan, approximately 87 kilometres from Karachi, with a depth of about 12 kilometres.
Pakistan sits along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it one of the most seismically active regions in South Asia. The country has experienced devastating earthquakes in the past, including the catastrophic 7.6-magnitude quake in 2005 that killed over 73,000 people and displaced millions.
More recently, in 2021, a deadly earthquake in Balochistan’s Harnai district claimed at least 20 lives, with landslides complicating rescue operations in the rugged terrain.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious and follow safety protocols in case of aftershocks.
