On the morning of Saturday, Today May 10, 2025 — a 5.3 magnitude earthquake rattled Islamabad and several cities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The quake caused a short bout of panic but there were no reported injuries and no significant damage was reported.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the earthquake originated from the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 230 kilometers. The tremors were felt at around 10:08 AM local time.
The quake’s tremors were experienced in various regions, including — Islamabad, Attock, Peshawar, Swat, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Charsadda, Abbottabad, Dir, Chitral and Bajaur.
Residents nearby felt the ground shake, with many evacuating their buildings as a precaution. Emergency services were put on standby following the tremors. Authorities asked residents to stay calm and follow procedures in the event of aftershocks. So far, there are no reports of immediate structural damage or injuries.
Due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, Pakistan is located in a tectonically active zone. The region of Hindu Kush, in particular, experiences deep-focus earthquakes, which can affect broad regions. This earthquake brings to our attention the importance of earthquake preparedness and following building codes that are assumed to be for earthquake design.
Residents are reminded to stay updated through official sources and to get more involved in community preparedness programs to build community resilience against future impacts of land and sea seismic events.
