KHUZDAR, Pakistan / AsiaWire.IO / – On Saturday, October 17, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake was recorded in the vicinity of Khuzdar, located in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The GFZ indicated that the tremor occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, approximately 6 miles. Typically, shallow seismic events tend to cause more intense shaking at the surface compared to deeper ones of similar magnitude. Early reports did not mention any casualties or damage. Khuzdar is situated in the central part of the province.
The earthquake’s magnitude and depth data were provided through the GFZ’s global earthquake monitoring platform. This Potsdam-based centre regularly publishes quick estimates for significant seismic incidents worldwide. Such initial assessments may be revised as additional seismic data becomes available. The first reports on Saturday’s event relied on the GFZ’s initial figures. No further details regarding the quake’s impact on Khuzdar and surrounding districts had been issued at that time.
Balochistan lies within 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 edge. Fault lines such as the Chaman Fault and the Sulaiman fold and thrust belt traverse this region. Movements along these faults have caused numerous destructive earthquakes over the last century, contributing to the frequency of moderate tremors in Pakistan’s western provinces.
Balochistan’s History of Devastating Earthquakes
The 1935 Quetta earthquake, registering a magnitude of 7.7, resulted in the deaths of between 30,000 and 60,000 people. An earthquake measuring 8.1 off the Makran coast in 1945 triggered a tsunami that claimed about 4,000 lives. In 2008, a magnitude 6.4 quake in Ziarat District caused 215 fatalities. Additionally, in September 2013, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Awaran District, bordering Khuzdar, resulted in 825 deaths and approximately 700 injuries.
More recently, on October 7, 2021, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Harnai District, striking early in the morning while many residents were sleeping. The event caused at least 42 fatalities, injured around 300 individuals, and destroyed roughly 10,000 mud homes across Harnai and the Shahrag region. Landslides impeded roads and slowed rescue efforts. Hospitals faced overwhelming numbers of injured patients, some of whom were airlifted to Quetta for treatment.
Pakistan Experiences Multiple Seismic Events in 2026
The earthquake on Saturday adds to the series of seismic activities that have taken place across Pakistan this year. In August, a quake was felt near Sost in Gilgit-Baltistan. Earlier in April, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake centered in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region affected the country. Pakistan’s position straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet beneath the landscape, making the region prone to frequent earthquakes from the northern mountains to the southwestern coast.
Moderate seismic events of this magnitude can cause damage to less resilient structures near the epicenter, especially in areas with poor construction standards. Aftershocks commonly follow shallow earthquakes in this region; for instance, the 2021 Harnai quake was succeeded by two aftershocks measuring 4.6 and 4.5. Initial reports regarding Saturday’s tremor did not mention any aftershocks, but further updates are anticipated as local authorities evaluate the situation around Khuzdar.