Earthquake of Magnitude 3.5 Jolts Pakistan; Third in Two Days
Islamabad: A 3.5-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan on Saturday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) reported.
According to the NCS, the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, making the region prone to aftershocks.
In a post on X, NCS stated, “EQ of M: 3.5, On: 18/10/2025 05:04:04 IST, Lat: 36.64 N, Long: 72.96 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Pakistan.”
Earlier the same day, a 3.9-magnitude tremor hit the region at a similar depth of 10 km. NCS reported, “EQ of M: 3.9, On: 18/10/2025 03:25:49 IST, Lat: 36.68 N, Long: 72.85 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Pakistan.”
On Friday, Pakistan had also experienced a 4.2-magnitude quake at a depth of 10 km. The NCS post read, “EQ of M: 4.2, On: 17/10/2025 20:20:20 IST, Lat: 36.39 N, Long: 72.38 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Pakistan.”
Shallow earthquakes, such as these, tend to be more destructive as their seismic waves reach the surface quickly, causing stronger ground shaking and potentially greater damage.
Pakistan lies in one of the world’s most seismically active regions, intersected by multiple major fault lines. Provinces like Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan sit on the southern edge of the Eurasian plate, while Sindh and Punjab lie on the northwestern edge of the Indian plate — making the country highly vulnerable to frequent and powerful quakes.
Balochistan, in particular, is located near the active boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
One of the deadliest and most powerful earthquakes in Pakistan’s history was the 1945 Balochistan earthquake, which measured 8.1 magnitude, marking it as the strongest quake ever recorded in the country.
