5.3-magnitude earthquake jolts Pakistan's Punjab

Islamabad, June 29 (IANS) An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck central Pakistan on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) confirmed.

The tremors were felt at approximately 3:54 am Indian Standard Time (IST), with the quake's depth recorded at 10 kilometres, indicating a shallow seismic event.

According to the GFZ, the epicentre was located around 149 kilometres west of Multan, a major city in Punjab province. There were no immediate reports of injuries, fatalities, or significant damage to infrastructure.

India's National Centre for Seismology (NCS) also recorded the seismic activity, measuring the quake's magnitude slightly lower at 5.2.

The NCS noted that the quake occurred at latitude 30.25°N and longitude 69.82°E, at a greater depth of 150 kilometres, which can sometimes reduce the surface impact of such tremors.

The NCS shared the data on its official X handle, posting: "EQ of M: 5.2, On: 29/06/2025 03:54:02 IST, Lat: 30.25 N, Long: 69.82 E, Depth: 150 Km, Location: Pakistan."

Pakistan frequently experiences seismic activity due to its location on the seismically active boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

This collision zone makes regions such as Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa particularly vulnerable to earthquakes.

Though this latest tremor caused no visible damage or loss of life, authorities typically urge residents in quake-prone zones to remain alert and follow safety guidelines in the event of aftershocks, according to local media reports.

In 2015, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Pakistan and Afghanistan resulted in nearly 400 fatalities due to the difficult terrain that complicated relief efforts.

In 2021, Balochistan province, the largest in Pakistan, was hit by a quake that caused at least 20 deaths and injured more than 10 others, with landslides hindering initial rescue operations in the remote mountainous area of Harnai.

--IANS

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