Earthquake Shakes Punjab Province

An earthquake was felt across several areas of Punjab on Tuesday, including Lahore, the provincial capital.

The temblor also impacted locations such as Kasur, Okara, Sheikhupura, Muridke, and Kamoke.

Initial reports indicate no casualties or structural damage resulting from the earthquake. The National Seismic Monitoring Centre recorded the quake at a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter scale, with a depth of 14 kilometers.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department stated that the earthquake’s epicenter was located approximately 25 kilometers from Lahore.

The Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has confirmed that personnel and equipment are prepared to respond to any aftershocks.

According to PDMA, their provincial control room and all district emergency operation centers in Punjab are operating around the clock. Citizens can report earthquake-related damage by calling PDMA’s helpline at 1129.

Pakistan’s location on the active boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates makes it prone to earthquakes. The constant movement of the Indian plate northward into the Eurasian plate results in significant seismic activity across much of South Asia.

Recently, Karachi has been experiencing frequent tremors, with residents reporting about 49 minor earthquakes in the past month.

Chief Meteorologist Ameer Hyder Leghari explained that the seismic activity in Karachi is attributed to the Landhi Fault Line becoming active after remaining dormant for several decades, as it undergoes a period of normalisation.

In May, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 struck Islamabad and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including Mardan, Swat, Nowshera, Swabi, and North Waziristan. The quake’s epicenter was traced to the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, at a depth of 230km.

Prior to that, two other notable earthquakes affected KP, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Punjab, and regions of Afghanistan.

On April 12, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake rattled several cities in northern Punjab, KP, and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area, with a reported depth of 12km.

The tremors were felt in cities such as Attock and Chakwal in Punjab, and Peshawar, Mardan, Mohmand, Swabi, Nowshera, Lakki Marwat, Lower Dir, Malakand, and Shabqadar in KP.

On April 16, another earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 impacted numerous areas of KP, AJK, Punjab, and sections of Afghanistan.