A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan; tremors also hit Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 on the Richter Scale jolted Pakistan on Saturday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.
As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.
In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 5.3, On: 12/04/2025 13:00:55 IST, Lat: 33.70 N, Long: 72.43 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Pakistan.”
Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties.
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Pakistan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults. As a result, earthquakes in Pakistan occur often and are destructive.
Pakistan geologically overlaps both the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Balochistan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan provinces lie on the southern edge of the Eurasian plate on the Iranian Plateau. Sindh, Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir provinces lie on the north-western edge of the Indian plate in South Asia. Hence this region is prone to violent earthquakes, as the two tectonic plates collide.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s neighbor, Tajikistan was jolted by an earthquake of magnitude 4.2.
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In a post on X, NCS said, “EQ of M: 4.2, On: 12/04/2025 12:24:09 IST, Lat: 37.04 N, Long: 71.68 E, Depth: 110 Km, Location: Tajikistan.”
On April 5, Pakistan’s another neighbour, Afghanistan was jolted by an earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on Richter Scale.
“EQ of M: 4.2, On: 05/04/2025 08:45:58 IST, Lat: 35.28 N, Long: 68.75 E, Depth: 90 Km, Location: Afghanistan.”
There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. Further details are awaited.
