Mild earthquake tremors were felt in parts of Balochistan’s Sibi district on Tuesday, briefly causing panic among residents.
Officials at the seismic centre said the earthquake had a magnitude of 3.1 on the Richter scale, with a depth of about 10 kilometres. They added that the epicentre was located nearly 60 kilometres northeast of Sibi.
The tremors were short and caused no damage or injuries, according to initial reports. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation.
Earlier this month, minor tremors were reported in parts of the province as well. The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed that a 5.0 magnitude earthquake shook Ziarat and nearby areas on November 8. No damage or casualties were reported in that incident either.
The last major earthquake in the region struck Ziarat in 2008. It claimed more than 200 lives and injured around 500 people. Entire villages were destroyed, hundreds of homes and government buildings collapsed, and over 15,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Most of the deaths occurred in small settlements where many women and children lost their lives.
Also Read, Earthquake in Ziarat Balochistan
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed that a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit Ziarat and the surrounding areas in Balochistan.
The main point of the earthquake was 67 kilometers northeast of Quetta. According to media reports, no casualties have been reported so far.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif early on 3 November, killing at least seven people and injuring around 150, just months after a quake and strong aftershocks at the end of August claimed more than 2,200 lives.
Footage released by the Afghan Ministry of Defence showed military rescue teams digging through rubble and pulling the body of a young girl from the debris. Reuters could not independently verify the location or date of the images.
