Twin quakes jolt Balochistan; several houses collapse, four injured

QUETTA: Two powerful earthquakes jolted Barkhan, Musa Khel, and surrounding areas in Balochistan early Sunday morning, causing widespread panic and structural damage.

The first quake struck at 3:24 am with a magnitude of 5.5, while the second tremor, recorded at 7:30 am, measured 4.8 on the Richter scale. The shocks were felt across multiple towns, bringing down several homes and injuring four people.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department confirmed that the first quake had a depth of 28 kilometres beneath the surface. The second quake’s epicentre was located 56 kilometres northeast of Musa Khel, a rugged, mountainous zone of Balochistan.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a magnitude 5.3 earthquake in central Pakistan at around 3:30 AM local time (2230 GMT), with the epicentre positioned roughly 60 kilometres north-northeast of Barkhan.

Although no immediate fatalities were reported, the damage to infrastructure and homes has raised concern, especially in remote areas where rescue operations are often hindered by rough terrain.

Pakistan lies at the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it prone to seismic activity. The region has witnessed several devastating quakes in the past.

In 2005, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, killing over 73,000 people and leaving 3.5 million homeless. A 7.5-magnitude quake in 2015 affected both Pakistan and Afghanistan, claiming nearly 400 lives across remote mountain regions that slowed down rescue efforts.

Balochistan, the country’s largest and most sparsely populated province, has seen frequent seismic activity. In 2021, a quake in the Harnai district killed at least 20 people and injured several more, with landslides further delaying emergency response.

Authorities are continuing to assess the damage in Barkhan and Musa Khel, while citizens are advised to remain alert due to the possibility of aftershocks.