Minor 2.2 Magnitude Quake Recorded North of DHA; No Damage Reported as Seismic Activity Continues
KARACHI – Parts of Karachi experienced a minor earthquake on Friday afternoon, marking the second such tremor in the port city this month.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the quake registered a magnitude of 2.2 on the Richter scale and occurred at 3:39 PM (PST). The seismic event struck at a shallow depth of only 10 kilometers, with its epicentre located approximately 24 kilometers north of Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA).
Authorities confirmed that no casualties or damage to property were reported across the city following the low-intensity tremors.
Growing Local Seismicity
This minor quake follows a stronger tremor felt earlier in October. On the 1st of the month, the Malir area of Karachi was jolted by a 3.2 magnitude earthquake, which also had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.
The city has observed a notable increase in seismic events over the past year. In June alone, the PMD recorded at least 57 tremors in Karachi. Chief Meteorologist Amir Haider Laghari previously attributed this heightened activity to the reactivation of the Landhi Fault Line after decades of dormancy, describing the current phase as a natural normalization process for the fault.
Regional Tectonic Vulnerability
The recurrence of tremors highlights Pakistan’s geographic position at the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, a collision zone that makes the entire region, including neighboring Afghanistan, susceptible to frequent and sometimes violent earthquakes. Other major cities across the country, such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Lahore, have also felt the effects of regional seismic activity in recent months.
