A low-intensity earthquake measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale struck Balochistan’s Kalat district in the early hours of Monday, sparking brief panic among residents but causing no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
According to the seismic centre of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the epicentre of the earthquake was located 8 kilometres southeast of the Kalat district.
Kalat experienced the tremor two days after a 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck Balochistan’s coastal city of Gwadar and its surrounding areas.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre said the epicentre of the earthquake was 40 kilometres away from southwest Pasni. Its depth was 14 kilometres, it added.
No damage or injuries were reported, but the residents panicked following the tremors.
Earlier this month, Karachi experienced unusual seismic activity since June 1, with 36 minor earthquakes recorded due to the activation of the Landhi fault line, according to the weather department.
The most recent tremor, with a magnitude of 2.6 and a depth of 10 kilometres, struck two days ago at 1:45am, with its epicentre located 8km southeast of Malir.
Just a day before these quakes, Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was also rattled by a mild magnitude 4.7 earthquake.
The seismological centre reported that the tremors originated from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountain range, with a depth of 211km.
These recent events follow a series of earlier quakes that have affected various parts of Pakistan.
Earthquakes are a common occurrence in Pakistan, a country situated on the active boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
The Indian plate’s continuous northward push into the Eurasian plate makes large parts of South Asia seismically active.
