KHUZDAR, Pakistan / AsiaWire.IO / – On Saturday, October 17, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred close to Khuzdar in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The GFZ reported the event at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, roughly 6 miles, which can result in stronger surface shaking than deeper quakes of similar magnitude. No casualties or damages were initially reported. Khuzdar is situated in the central region of the province.
The earthquake’s magnitude and depth were provided by the GFZ through its global monitoring service, which offers rapid assessments of significant seismic events worldwide. These initial figures are subject to revision as more data becomes available. Early reports on Saturday relied solely on the GFZ estimate, and details about the quake’s impact on Khuzdar and neighboring districts had not yet been released.
Balochistan lies within a seismically active zone along the southern boundary of the Eurasian plate, where the Indian and Eurasian plates converge at an oblique angle along Pakistan’s western edge. Fault systems such as the Chaman Fault and the Sulaiman fold and thrust belt traverse the area, producing numerous destructive earthquakes over the last century. The region regularly experiences moderate tremors due to these tectonic movements.
Balochistan’s History of Devastating Earthquakes
The 1935 Quetta earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7, caused the deaths of between 30,000 and 60,000 people. An earthquake measuring 8.1 off the Makran coast in 1945 triggered a tsunami that resulted in approximately 4,000 fatalities. In 2008, a magnitude 6.4 quake in Ziarat District claimed 215 lives. In September 2013, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Awaran District, neighboring Khuzdar, killed 825 and injured about 700.
More recently, on October 7, 2021, a magnitude 5.9 quake struck Harnai District, striking during early morning hours while many residents were asleep, resulting in at least 42 deaths. Around 300 people were injured, and nearly 10,000 mud homes were destroyed across Harnai and Shahrag. Landslides blocked roads, hampering rescue efforts, with hospitals overwhelmed and some injured airlifted to Quetta.
Pakistan Experiences Multiple Seismic Events in 2026
The earthquake on Saturday is among several seismic activities recorded in Pakistan this year. In August, a quake struck Gilgit-Baltistan near Sost. In April, Pakistan experienced a magnitude 6.2 quake originating from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region. Due to its location along the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet beneath the country, Pakistan faces frequent earthquake risks from the northern mountains to the southwestern coast.
Moderate seismic events like these can damage fragile structures near the epicenter, especially where construction standards are poor. Aftershocks tend to follow shallow earthquakes in the area. The 2021 Harnai quake was succeeded by two aftershocks of magnitude 4.6 and 4.5. Initial reports from Saturday’s event did not specify any aftershocks, but further details are anticipated as local authorities evaluate conditions around Khuzdar.