A 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook several regions of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and the federal capital of Pakistan on Wednesday. The tremors, felt at around 12:28 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PST), were confirmed by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The epicenter of the quake was reported to be near Dera Ghazi Khan in southwestern Punjab, with a depth of 10 kilometers.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a slightly lower magnitude of 5.4 for the earthquake. The quake had a regional impact, affecting not only Pakistan but also parts of India and Afghanistan.
Cities in Punjab that experienced the tremors include Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Kamalia, Khanewal, Bhalwal, Chiniot, Hafizabad, Toba Tek Singh, Gujarat, Sargodha, and Jhang. In KP, the affected cities were Peshawar, Swat, North Waziristan, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Buner, Shangla, and Chitral.
This latest seismic activity follows a similar earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 that impacted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and KP on August 29. Earthquakes are relatively common in Pakistan due to its position along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The region's seismic activity is driven by the ongoing collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate.