A 6.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, and the Upper Neelum Valley, sending residents into the streets in fear, although no casualties or property damage were reported.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre in Islamabad disclosed that the tremor’s epicentre was near the Tajikistan border and occurred 223 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface. The vibrations were prominently experienced in Sharda, Keil, Halmat, Dudhniyal, and Sheikh Bela regions of the Upper Neelum Valley.
In locations where the seismic activity was distinctly felt, panic-stricken residents poured out of their homes, seeking safety and praying for protection.
Earlier this year, the provinces of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were struck by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, resulting in the unfortunate death of two people and injuries to another 180 individuals.
The incidence of these earthquakes has raised concerns about the safety of the region’s infrastructure. The tremors, particularly recent ones in Turkey and Syria, prompt questions regarding the ability of Pakistan’s infrastructure to withstand a significant seismic event, even those of comparatively lower magnitudes.
Read More: Global Surface Temperatures on the Rise Since 1970, Warns IPCC Report
In an alarming revelation, the World Bank reported that seismic risks in Pakistan have escalated since the devastating 2005 earthquake. According to the bank’s Fiscal Disaster Risk Assessment Options for Consideration, if a similar seismic event were to take place today, the cost of damages to residential properties alone could potentially double to $2.8 billion. The increasing frequency of these incidents underscores the urgent need to assess and strengthen the resilience of the region’s infrastructure.
