KHUZDAR, Pakistan / AsiaWire.IO / – According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences, a magnitude 5.6 tremor hit near Khuzdar in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday, October 17. The GFZ indicated the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, roughly 6 miles. Shallow seismic events tend to cause more intense shaking on the surface compared to deeper ones of similar magnitude. No initial reports have confirmed any casualties or damage. Khuzdar is situated in the central region of the province.
The magnitude and depth figures were provided by the GFZ through its global earthquake monitoring network. The Potsdam-based institution offers quick estimates of major seismic events worldwide, which may be revised as additional data becomes available. The initial information about Saturday’s tremor was based on the GFZ’s early assessment. Details regarding the impact in Khuzdar and nearby districts had not been disclosed in the initial reports.
Balochistan is located along a seismically active zone on the southern boundary of the Eurasian plate. The Indian and Eurasian plates converge at an oblique angle along Pakistan’s western edge. The region is traversed by fault systems such as the Chaman Fault and the Sulaiman fold and thrust belt. Movements along these faults have caused several devastating earthquakes throughout the last century. As a result, Pakistan’s western provinces frequently experience moderate tremors.
Balochistan’s History of Devastating Earthquakes
The 1935 Quetta earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7, resulted in the deaths of between 30,000 and 60,000 people. In 1945, a magnitude 8.1 quake off the Makran coast triggered a tsunami that claimed about 4,000 lives. The 2008 Ziarat District earthquake, measuring 6.4, caused 215 fatalities. In September 2013, a magnitude 7.7 quake in Awaran District—adjacent to Khuzdar—killed 825 and injured around 700.
More recent events include the magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck Harnai District on October 7, 2021. Many residents were asleep at the time, and the tremor resulted in at least 42 deaths. Approximately 300 people were injured, and about 10,000 mud homes were destroyed across Harnai and the Shahrag region. Landslides obstructed roads, hampering rescue efforts. Hospitals were overwhelmed, with some injured individuals airlifted to Quetta.
Multiple Seismic Events Occur in Pakistan in 2026
Saturday’s earthquake is part of a series of seismic activities across Pakistan this year. In August, a quake near Sost in Gilgit-Baltistan was recorded. Earlier, in April, Pakistan experienced a magnitude 6.2 earthquake originating from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region. The country’s position spanning the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian plates makes it prone to recurring earthquakes from the northern mountains to the southwestern coast.
Seismic activity of this magnitude can cause damage to less resilient structures near the epicenter, especially where construction standards are inadequate. Aftershocks are common following shallow earthquakes in this region. The 2021 Harnai quake, for instance, was followed by two aftershocks of magnitude 4.6 and 4.5. Initial reports on Saturday’s event did not specify any aftershocks. Further updates are anticipated as local authorities evaluate the situation around Khuzdar.