Minor Earthquake Shakes Kalat, Balochistan

An earthquake of low intensity, registering 3.1 on the Richter scale, occurred in Balochistan’s Kalat district early Monday. The tremor caused temporary alarm among residents, but there were no immediate reports of any destruction or injuries.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) seismic center, the earthquake’s point of origin was situated 8 kilometers southeast of Kalat district.

This tremor in Kalat follows an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 that struck Gwadar, a coastal city in Balochistan, and its surrounding areas just two days prior.

The National Seismic Monitoring Centre indicated that the earthquake’s source was located 40 kilometers away from southwest Pasni, at a depth of 14 kilometers.

While no harm or injuries were documented, residents experienced panic due to the tremors.

Earlier in the month, Karachi experienced notable seismic activity starting June 1, with the weather department reporting 36 minor earthquakes attributed to the activation of the Landhi fault line.

The most recent tremor, which measured 2.6 in magnitude and had a depth of 10 kilometers, occurred two days ago at 1:45 am, originating 8km southeast of Malir.

Just one day before these seismic events, Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was also affected by a light earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7.

The seismological centre stated that those tremors stemmed from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountain range, occurring at a depth of 211km.

These recent occurrences are part of a series of previous earthquakes that have impacted different regions of Pakistan.

Earthquakes are frequent in Pakistan, which is located on the active boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

The ongoing northward movement of the Indian plate towards the Eurasian plate contributes to the seismic activity in a significant portion of South Asia.