Lahore: Two consecutive earthquakes struck multiple parts of Pakistan early Saturday morning, causing widespread panic and forcing residents to evacuate their homes and high-rise structures. The more severe of the two tremors registered a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale, sending people rushing out into open spaces as a safety precaution. According to initial assessments from international monitoring agencies including the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the seismic activity occurred within a span of less than three hours, keeping emergency teams on alert across the country.
The initial tremor, tracking at a milder magnitude of 4.3, was recorded around 6:15 a.m. local time, waking many residents across the affected provinces. It was followed shortly after at approximately 8:36 a.m. by the more intense 5.5 magnitude earthquake, which intensified the anxiety among local populations. Seismologists located the epicentre of the stronger second quake about 63 kilometres from Barkhan in the Balochistan province, determining that the movement originated at a depth of 35 kilometres beneath the surface.
Despite the intense shaking and the ensuing public distress, provincial disaster management authorities have confirmed that there are no initial reports of casualties or severe infrastructure collapse. Municipal emergency teams and district administrations continue to inspect vulnerable residential areas and older concrete developments to fully verify structural safety. Officials are urging citizens to remain cautious of potential aftershocks, as regional control rooms monitor ongoing geological activity along the active tectonic fault lines.
