Updated

Updated · DAWN.com · Jun 26

Balochistan Earthquake Jolts Pakistan's Southwest at 5.1 Magnitude as USGS Puts It at 5.2

Updated

Updated · DAWN.com · Jun 26

Balochistan Earthquake Jolts Pakistan's Southwest at 5.1 Magnitude as USGS Puts It at 5.2

Q: A swarm of quakes just shook Pakistan. Are these tremors a warning of a much larger event to come?

No one can say these tremors are a clear warning of a much larger earthquake. The best scientific reading is that they show Pakistan remains in a highly active seismic region, but they do not allow reliable short-term prediction. The recent quakes were moderate events in places already known for frequent seismic activity: a 5.1 in Balochistan on Friday, a 5.4 earlier in the week in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush that was felt across Pakistan, and a damaging 4.8 last month in Jhelum. Pakistan sits where the Indian, Eurasian and Arabian plates interact, so earthquakes are common across several active zones, including Balochistan, the northern belt and the Makran coast. Small and moderate quakes can sometimes be foreshocks, but scientists usually only know that after a larger quake happens. Most smaller earthquakes do not lead to a major one. Seismic swarms can temporarily raise the chance of another event nearby, but that increase is hard to quantify precisely and often fades quickly. What is clear is the long-term risk. Pakistan has a history of destructive earthquakes, including the 2005 Kashmir disaster and the 1945 Makran earthquake and tsunami. Balochistan and the Hindu Kush are both established seismic hotspots. So the recent tremors should be treated less as a definite warning and more as a reminder to prepare: inspect vulnerable buildings, enforce seismic construction rules, review emergency plans, and stay alert to official updates from the PMD and disaster authorities.

3 articles · Updated · DAWN.com · Jun 26

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Balochistan at 4:48 p.m. Friday, with Pakistan's meteorological department placing the epicentre 60 km northeast of Kohlu at a depth of 17 km.
Zhob, Barkhan and Rakhni felt the tremor, while the US Geological Survey separately logged a 5.2-magnitude quake north-northeast of Barkhan at a depth of 10 km.
The jolt follows a 5.4-magnitude earthquake on Monday that was felt across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Islamabad, with the epicentre in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region.
Pakistan sits on the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian tectonic plates, and their intersecting fault lines make earthquakes a frequent hazard across the country.