5.9 earthquake jolts Khuzdar region in Pakistan’s Balochistan

The quake was reported 48 km west-northwest of Khuzdar, it said. In February, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake also struck Balochistan province.

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake jolted Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on Saturday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The quake occurred at 10:07am at a depth of 25 kilometres, the PMD said in a post on X. The PMD said the earthquake’s epicentre was located 48 kilometres northwest of Khuzdar, at latitude 28.02 degrees north and longitude 66.20 degrees east. The department released the seismic data through its Islamabad office. In August, an earthquake of magnitude 4.8 jolted parts of Balochistan, including Zhob and Chaman. According to the seismological centre, the earthquake was recorded at a depth of 15 kilometres, with its epicentre located 122km northeast of Zhob. The tremors caused fear and panic among residents, with many people coming out of their homes and reciting verses from the Holy Quran. No loss of life or property damage had been reported from the earthquake. In July, a moderate earthquake of magnitude 4 struck Quetta, Ziarat, Harnai, and surrounding areas, forcing people to come out of their homes and take refuge in open places. However, no casualty or damage to property was reported from the areas hit by the earthquake. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region.

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