A 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Monday rattled Islamabad, with tremors also felt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Swat and Gilgit-Baltistan's Hunza, causing momentary panic among residents. The Pakistan Meteorological Department's National Seismic Monitoring Centre reported that the quake originated at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre in Balochistan's Sonmiani.
Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a magnitude of 5.9 and a depth of 35 kilometres, placing the epicentre about 50 kilometres north-northwest of Barishal. Despite the intensity, there were no immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage. Residents in the affected regions reported feeling strong tremors, prompting temporary evacuations and safety measures.
This earthquake comes just weeks after a 5.2-magnitude tremor struck parts of Karachi on December 16, 2025, causing widespread alarm. Pakistan is located along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it prone to frequent seismic activity. The region has a history of devastating earthquakes, including the 7.6-magnitude quake in 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Azad Kashmir.
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