QUETTA: A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted the Kohlu district of Balochistan on Friday, leaving at least three people injured and causing partial damage to approximately 70 houses in the nearby Kingri area, according to local authorities.
Musa Khel Deputy Commissioner Abdul Razaq Khajak confirmed the casualties, stating that the injured—among them a child—sustained wounds when walls collapsed during the shaking. They were immediately transported to a local hospital for medical care.
Rescue Teams Mobilized
In the wake of the tremors, district officials swiftly dispatched rescue teams led by assistant commissioners to Kingri. The teams are assessing the full extent of the damage and providing assistance to affected families.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) reported that the earthquake originated at a shallow depth of 17 kilometers. Its epicenter was pinpointed roughly 60 kilometers northeast of Kohlu city. The jolt was powerful enough to send tremors rippling through neighboring districts, including Zhob, Barkhan, and Rakhni, where panicked residents rushed out of buildings.
A Day of Repeated Shocks
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) later clarified that Friday’s event was actually the third seismic episode of the day. The first earthquake was recorded at 10:25 a.m., followed by a second at 10:58 a.m., before the most significant tremor struck at 4:49 p.m. Earlier in the afternoon, lighter tremors had also been felt in Koh.
The seismic activity follows a pattern of heightened tectonic restlessness in the region. Earlier month, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake rattled Lahore and its adjoining areas, sending shockwaves of panic through urban centers.
Pakistan’s Vulnerability to Earthquakes
Pakistan’s precarious geographic position on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates makes it highly susceptible to seismic events. The country has endured a series of catastrophic earthquakes over the past two decades.
In February of this year, a 5.8-magnitude quake shook Islamabad, Swat, and Hunza. The nation’s deadliest disaster remains the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which claimed over 73,000 lives and rendered millions homeless. More recently, in 2021, a devastating quake in Balochistan’s Harnai district killed at least20 people, with rescue operations severely hampered by landslidesp>
Seismology experts consistently warn that the rugged, mountainous terrain of Pakistan’s earthquake-prone zones complicates relief efforts, making investment in disaster preparedness and infrastructure an urgent national priority.
