5.3-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Swat, Tremors Felt Across KPPakistan

Strong tremors were felt in Upper Swat, Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir, the report said. The earthquake was also felt in Sheringal, Larjam, Barawal, Abbottabad, Bajaur, Parachinar, Malakand and Battagram.

Residents of Mardan, Swabi, Landi Kotal, Buner and Jamrud also reported feeling the tremors, according to the report.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property, the report said. A separate report by Pakistan Point also said no casualties or property damage had been reported from any part of the country so far.

The Hindu Kush region, where the epicentre was located, is one of the most seismically active areas in the region, and earthquakes originating deep beneath the mountain range are often felt across a wide area of northern Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.

Because the quake was deep, at 184 kilometres, its tremors were felt over a large area even though its magnitude was moderate. Deep earthquakes in the Hindu Kush are a regular feature of the region’s seismic activity.

Swat and its surrounding districts have felt several tremors in recent days. Independent News Pakistan reported a 4.9-magnitude earthquake in Swat and adjoining areas earlier in the week, and tremors of 5.2 magnitude were also reported in the area on Saturday.

People in the affected districts reported feeling the ground shake late at night. The Seismic Monitoring Centre in Islamabad records such activity around the clock and shares its readings with the authorities and the media.

No warning of further tremors was issued in the initial reports, and there was no word of any disruption to services in the affected areas by the time the reports were published.