Balochistan's seismic activity continues with fresh Sibi tremors

• Sibi quake measured 4 at depth of 10 km, epicentre 50km southwest.
• November 26 Sibi earthquake was 3.1, epicentre 60km northeast.
• Earlier in November, Ziarat experienced a 5.0-magnitude quake.

QUETTA: Balochistan’s quake zone continues to remain active as mild tremors shook Sibi district early Wednesday, the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) reported, more than a week after the city last experienced jolts.

The quake registered a magnitude of 4 and was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres, officials said. Its epicentre was located around 50 kilometres southwest of Sibi.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, and authorities said they were monitoring the situation.

The November 26 Sibi quake had a magnitude of 3.1, while its depth was recorded at around ten kilometres. The NSMC reported that the epicentre was located roughly 60 kilometres north-east of Sibi.

The tremors did not last long. There are no reports of damage or casualties so far. However, authorities continue to monitor the situation.

Parts of the province faced minor tremors earlier in November, also.

On November 8, the NSMC of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported that quake tremors shook Ziarat and surrounding areas, registering a magnitude of 5.0.

The quake’s epicentre was pinpointed 67 kilometres northeast of Quetta. However, no reports of damage or casualties emerged.

The last major earthquake to hit Ziarat struck in 2008, claiming more than 200 lives and leaving around 500 injured.

Entire villages were flattened, and hundreds of homes and government buildings were reduced to rubble, forcing over 15,000 people from their homes.

The worst-hit areas were the small settlements of Ziarat, where roughly 170 people died, most of them women and children.

While other districts, including Pishin, Bolan, Chaman, and Quetta, also reported casualties and damage, according to reports.

The country has long been vulnerable to natural disasters, from the 2005 northern quake that killed 73,000 to the devastating 1935 earthquake in Quetta, which claimed around 30,000 lives.

Balochistan province largely sits along a seismic hotspot, where the Indian plate pushes against the Eurasian plate.

Balochistan, the country’s largest province, remains sparsely populated, making rescue and relief operations especially difficult.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif on November 3, killing at least seven people and injuring about 150 others, just months after a quake and strong aftershocks killed more than 2,200 people at the end of August.