A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale struck northern parts of Pakistan on Friday morning, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said.
In an official statement, the PMD noted that the tremor occurred at 9:53am, with its coordinates recorded at latitude 36.71° north and longitude 74.44° east. The epicentre was located in northwestern Kashmir, approximately 84 kilometres northeast of Gilgit, at a depth of 12 kilometres.
The quake was felt across several المناطق including Gilgit, Skardu, Pattan, Balakot, and nearby areas, though no immediate reports of damage or casualties were received.
Pakistan lies at the convergence of three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Eurasian, and Indian — resulting in multiple seismic zones and frequent tectonic activity across the region.
The latest tremor follows a series of recent quakes, including a 5.6-magnitude earthquake that struck Islamabad and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in late February. Earlier in the same month, a 4.5-magnitude quake was recorded a day after a stronger 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit parts of the province.