A powerful earthquake jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday, causing widespread panic among residents.

According to geological reports, the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale and struck at a shallow depth of just 10 kilometers, with the epicenter located 15 kilometers from Rawat.

Tremors were felt across a wide region including Abbottabad, Chakwal, Attock, Nowshera, Swabi, Hazro, and Hasan Abdal. As the ground shook, people rushed out of their homes, reciting prayers and seeking safety in open spaces. While the tremors were intense enough to rattle nerves, there have been no reports of loss of life or property damage so far.

This seismic event wasn't isolated. Just hours earlier, a separate magnitude 4.3 earthquake hit the federal capital and surrounding areas at exactly 12:10 AM. The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported the epicenter to be just 3 kilometers from Islamabad's metropolitan area, prompting late-night panic in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, and nearby regions.

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Adding to the concern, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa experienced another jolt the previous night around 2 AM. That quake registered a magnitude of 5.4 with a depth of 102 kilometers, and its epicenter was traced to Afghanistan’s Hindukush region, a zone frequently associated with seismic activity.

Why do earthquakes happen?

According to geologists, earthquakes occur due to the movement of large underground rock plates, also known as tectonic plates. When these plates experience intense pressure and eventually snap or shift, the energy released causes tremors on the earth’s surface.

The central breaking point is known as the hypocenter, while the point directly above it on the surface is called the epicenter. The damage caused by an earthquake depends largely on its depth and intensity—shallower quakes often cause more destruction.

Seismic waves known as P-waves, S-waves, and L-waves travel from the hypocenter and are responsible for the shaking felt during an earthquake. These waves spread in all directions, sometimes affecting regions even hundreds of kilometers away.