5.4-magnitude earthquake jolts parts of KP, Islamabad, Punjab

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Islamabad on Monday. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the earthquake was recorded at 3:22pm at a depth of 215 kilometres with the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan as its epicentre. It was felt in Peshawar, Islamabad, Mansehra, Swat, Battagram, Abbottabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Multan and Potohar region, among other areas. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Rescue 1122 spokesperson in KP directed the public to contact their helpline immediately in case of an emergency. No reports of loss of life or destruction of property have been received in Punjab so far, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson said in a statement. Citizens have been asked to contact the PDMA Punjab helpline at 1129 for any assistance or information related to the earthquake. In April, an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 jolted Islamabad and KP. Earlier that month, the areas also felt tremors when a quake of 6.1 magnitude hit the Hindu Kush region. 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.