5.3-magnitude earthquake hits Islamabad, parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

• Quake originated at 10:13am as per Pakistan Meteorological Dept.
• Epicentre of 220km deep quake located in Hindu Kush region.
• Hindu Kush area hotspot for seismic activity due to its position.

ISLAMABAD: A 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook the federal capital, Islamabad, and several areas of neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, on Wednesday morning.

The tremors were felt in other areas including Mohmand, Shabqadar, Attock, Malakand, Swat, Shangla, Buner, and Abbottabad.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Seismological Centre, the earthquake struck at 10:13am, with a depth of 220 kilometres.

The epicentre was located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, a region known for frequent seismic activity.

This earthquake adds to a series of tremors that have affected the region in recent years, with the Hindu Kush area being a hotspot for seismic activity due to its position along tectonic plate boundaries.

Today's tremors came exactly two months after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted the federal capital and parts of Punjab and KP on September 11.

The quake in September was preceded by another one of 5.4-magnitude which jolted parts of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and KP in June. 

So far, the country has reportedly witnessed at least seven earthquakes this year, of which three were in coastal city Karachi

Earthquakes are not uncommon in Pakistan, as the country is situated on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Large parts of South Asia are seismically active because a tectonic plate known as the Indian plate is pushing north into the Eurasian plate.