ISLAMABAD: Authorities have warned of potential aftershocks of a 5.1-magnitude earthquake that hit the Pakistani capital of Islamabad and several other cities in wee hours of Sunday, the Press Information Department (PID) said, urging citizens to remain vigilant.
The earthquake struck approximately 15 km east-southeast of Rawat, near Islamabad and Rawalpindi, at 12:10am on Sunday. The shallow earthquake, with a depth of 10 kilometers, caused tremors that were felt in Islamabad Capital Territory, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Jhelum, Nankana Sahib, Jalalpur Bhatian, Wazirabad, Shahkot, Bhalwal as well as regions in Azad Kashmir.
Its epicenter lied near the Rawat Fault, a known active fault line in the seismically active Potohar Plateau, which is influenced by the tectonic interactions of the Indian-Eurasian plate boundary. The maximum shaking intensity, measured on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, reached V, indicating moderate to strong shaking near the epicenter, the PID said, citing seismic and disaster management authorities.
The shallow depth of the earthquake contributed to the widespread tremors felt in nearby cities and towns, though the moderate intensity suggests limited potential for significant structural damage. Fortunately, no immediate reports of casualties or property damage have been received, and authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
