Overview
- The National Seismic Monitoring Centre recorded a 4.8-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday that struck at a depth of 15 kilometres with an epicentre 122 kilometres northeast of Zhob.
- Tremors were widely felt in Zhob and Chaman and many residents rushed outdoors in fear, though officials reported no casualties or immediate property damage.
- Local authorities and seismologists are actively monitoring seismic activity for possible aftershocks and advising people in affected areas to follow safety guidance.
- Reporting places the quake in Balochistan’s recent pattern of events, noting a deadly 5.9-magnitude quake near Harnai in October 2021 and a 5.4-magnitude event affecting Chaman in March 2024.
- Longer-term data show frequent moderate quakes near Pakistan—one outlet cited 2,399 events of magnitude 4 or above within 300 km in the past decade—and the quake’s shallow depth helps explain why a moderate temblor was strongly felt and raised public anxiety.