5.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Pakistan's Punjab, shaking multiple cities

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake jolted almost all of Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday afternoon, the Pakistan Meteorological Department reported.

The earthquake's epicenter was recorded near a village in Punjab’s southwestern city of Dera Ghazi Khan. Some other areas affected include Shorkot, Chiniot, Layyah, Bhuraywala, Khanewal, Multan, and Bhera.

Among some other areas to have experienced the jolts were Faisalabad, Mianwali, Jhang, Kamalia, Bhalwal, Toba Tek Singh.

As per the National Seismic Monitoring Centre in Islamabad, the earthquake's depth was recorded at 10 kilometers, a latitude - north-south position of the epicenter - of 31.29 N, and a longitude - east-west position of the epicenter - of 70.51 E.

Two days ago, the PMD recorded a 4.5 magnitude earthquake that struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly Swat. The earthquake occurred at 8:20 AM.

The Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported that the tremors briefly caused panic among residents.

The earthquake's depth was measured at 151 kilometers, with its epicenter in the seismically active Hindu Kush Mountain range, known for frequent quakes.

'Shallow earthquakes can be dangerous'

Speaking to Nukta, Chief Meteorologist Dr. Muhammad Afzaal explained that a magnitude of 5.7 is considered shallow, which can be dangerous due to its intensity on the Richter scale.

"The deeper an earthquake, the lower the likelihood of damage, but it also depends on the intensity," he added.

Regarding the possibility of aftershocks, he said that given the earthquake's magnitude, aftershocks were not necessarily expected.

According to a spokesperson from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), “So far, reports from Punjab and other tehsils have indicated no casualties or damage from the 5.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Dera Ghazi Khan. ”