GILGIT-BALTISTAN / RankWire.AI / – On the morning of August 13, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake shook northeastern Pakistan, particularly affecting Gilgit-Baltistan close to the northern border. Pakistan’s official seismic records list the magnitude at 5.3. The tremor struck at 5:35 a.m. local time on August 13, with its epicenter located 27 kilometers northwest of Sost, near the Khunjerab region. The Pakistan Meteorological Department reported the quake’s depth at 15 kilometers.
Intense shaking was felt in Hunza and Nagar districts, with Chipurson Valley in Upper Hunza among the hardest-hit areas. This mountainous region, situated near Pakistan’s borders with China and Afghanistan, experienced widespread tremors that prompted residents to evacuate their homes. Landslides and rockfalls occurred in parts of the valley, including a rockslide that obstructed the Chipurson Valley road near Ramanji, hindering access to remote mountain settlements.
Initial assessments by local authorities indicated no casualties and no confirmed structural damage. However, the earthquake caused considerable ground movement across steep terrains, with falling rocks impacting local roads. Due to the narrow and rugged routes in Chipurson Valley, officials in Gilgit-Baltistan monitored the situation closely, particularly focusing on roads and communities affected by landslides and tremors.
Landslides Disrupt Road Access in Upper Hunza
The quake’s epicenter was near Sost, a northern town along the Karakoram Highway corridor. Sost, serving communities in Upper Hunza, is located south of the Khunjerab Pass, which links Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang region through one of the world’s highest international crossings. According to official data, the earthquake’s shallow depth in the broader northwestern Kashmir seismic zone contributed to noticeable shaking in nearby mountain communities in northeastern Pakistan.
A second tremor struck the same region later on Thursday morning, recorded at 9:24 a.m. local time with a magnitude of 4.7 at a depth of 19 kilometers. Its epicenter was 28 kilometers west-northwest of Sost, near the initial quake site, intensifying seismic activity in an area that experienced a damaging quake earlier this year.
Repeated Earthquakes Hit the Region in 2026
On January 19, northern Pakistan was jolted by a magnitude 5.8 quake affecting Hunza, Ghizer, and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. This event triggered landslides, caused structural damage, and blocked roads in the mountainous zones. One person lost their life, and several others sustained injuries during this quake. Chipurson Valley also suffered serious damage, impacting homes and infrastructure, while road closures complicated access to affected communities during the emergency response efforts by authorities and aid organizations.
The region of northern Pakistan is highly seismic, shaped by the ongoing movement of major tectonic plates. Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and neighboring northern areas frequently experience earthquakes. The August 13 event again primarily affected Upper Hunza, where landslides disrupted transportation but caused no reported fatalities. Official reports also documented two significant quakes near Sost within a four-hour span, with the first producing the stronger shaking among local communities.