KHUZDAR, Pakistan / AsiaWire.IO / – A seismic disturbance measuring 5.6 in magnitude occurred close to Khuzdar in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday, October 17, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The GFZ indicated that the quake was at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, or approximately 6 miles. Shallow seismic events tend to cause more intense shaking at ground level compared to deeper ones of similar magnitude. No casualties or damage were initially reported. 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 system. This Potsdam-based centre issues rapid assessments for major seismic events worldwide, which can be updated as additional data becomes available. The initial information on Saturday’s tremor was based on GFZ estimates. No further details regarding the impact on Khuzdar and surrounding districts had been released in early reports.
Balochistan is located in a seismically active zone along the southern boundary of the Eurasian plate. The Indian and Eurasian plates converge at an oblique angle along Pakistan’s western border. 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 numerous destructive earthquakes over the past 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. A magnitude 8.1 quake off the Makran coast in 1945 caused a tsunami and claimed approximately 4,000 lives. In 2008, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Ziarat District resulted in 215 fatalities. Additionally, in September 2013, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Awaran District, bordering Khuzdar, led to 825 deaths and about 700 injuries.
More recently, on October 7, 2021, a magnitude 5.9 quake struck Harnai District, striking early in the morning while many residents were asleep. The event caused at least 42 fatalities, injured around 300 people, and destroyed roughly 10,000 mud homes in Harnai and the Shahrag region. Landslides impeded roads, hampering rescue efforts. Hospitals faced overwhelming patient loads, with some injured individuals airlifted to Quetta.
Pakistan Experiences Multiple Earthquakes in 2026
Saturday’s seismic activity adds to the series of earthquakes recorded across Pakistan this year. In August, a tremor was felt near Sost in Gilgit-Baltistan. Earlier in April, Pakistan experienced a magnitude 6.2 quake originating in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region. The country is situated along the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet beneath the surface, making earthquakes a common threat from the northern mountains to the southwestern coast.
Seismic events of this magnitude can damage weaker structures near the epicentre, especially where construction standards are insufficient. Aftershocks are common following shallow earthquakes in the area; the 2021 Harnai quake, for example, was succeeded by two aftershocks of magnitudes 4.6 and 4.5. No aftershocks were initially reported following Saturday’s quake, but further information is anticipated as local authorities evaluate the situation in Khuzdar.