Severe earthquake jolts Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A severe earthquake of magnitude 5.9 was felt in Islamabad and its surrounding areas on Saturday morning, causing panic amongst the public.

The quake was felt in Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Mardan, Haripur, Abbottabad, Khanpur, Taxila and Chinot.

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According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Islamabad, the earthquake of magnitude 5.9 on the Richter scale occurred at 11:47 am , with its epicentre being the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region at a depth of 94 kilometres.

Despite the strong tremors, no immediate reports of damage or casualties have been reported.

In Islamabad, residents evacuated buildings and gathered outside after feeling the shaking. 

Pakistan has seen a series of low-intensity earthquakes in recent weeks. Experts say these tremors help release built-up pressure in the earth’s tectonic plates, which could reduce the chances of a major quake in the future. The country sits on three major tectonic plates — Arabian, Eurasian, and Indian — dividing it into five seismic zones.