5.5-magnitude earthquake jolts parts of KP; epicentre in Hindu Kush

• Tremors felt across KP, Islamabad, AJK, adjoining areas.
• Quake hit at 2:03am, PMD confirms; no damage reported.
• PDMA in contact with all district administrations across KP.

An earthquake struck parts of northern Pakistan early Friday morning, shaking homes across several cities and towns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties.

According to seismic monitoring centres, the quake had a magnitude of 5.5 and originated in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 114 kilometres.

Tremors were felt in Peshawar and nearby districts, including Swat, Malakand, Dir, Mardan, Haripur, and Abbottabad. 

The Pakistan Meteorological Department's National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) in Islamabad said the tremors were recorded at 2:03am.

Residents in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Kashmir, Charsadda and Karak also reported feeling the quake. 

According to reports, the jolts were noticeable in various localities of the federal capital, and authorities are continuing to monitor the situation. 

Meanwhile, heavy rain lashed parts of Islamabad, and Murree saw showers accompanied by thunder and lightning, adding to the overnight weather disturbance in the region.

Tremors were also reported in Gujranwala and surrounding areas.

According to a spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the Emergency Operations Centre is in contact with all district administrations across KP. 

The PDMA has advised citizens to call the helpline 1700 in case of any emergency.

The August 2 earthquake is the latest in a series of tremors to hit northern Pakistan in recent months, most of them linked to the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan.

On June 11, a 4.7-magnitude quake hit Peshawar. A month earlier, a stronger 5.3 quake had shaken Islamabad and several KP districts, including Mardan, Swat, Nowshera, Swabi, and North Waziristan. Both quakes had deep epicentres in the Hindu Kush mountains.

In April, two more earthquakes hit the region. A 5.5-magnitude tremor struck on April 12, followed by a 5.3 quake on April 16. Tremors were felt in parts of KP, Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and the federal capital.

Pakistan sits on a major fault line between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which makes earthquakes common, especially in the north.

Karachi, meanwhile, has seen unusual activity this year, with over 30 mild tremors reported in a few days. Experts link this to movement along the long-dormant Landhi Fault Line.