KARACHI: A mild earthquake measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale shook parts of Karachi on Friday evening, prompting residents in several neighbourhoods to leave their homes and apartment buildings as a precaution. No casualties or damage to property were reported.
According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the tremor occurred at 6:01pm Pakistan Standard Time. The epicentre was located within Karachi at latitude 24.80°N and longitude 67.01°E, with a focal depth of 10 kilometres.
The tremor was felt in several eastern and central parts of the city, including Malir, Landhi, Gadap and areas of District East. Residents reported brief vibrations, while some people living in high-rise buildings moved to open spaces before returning after the shaking stopped.
Seismologists said earthquakes of this magnitude are generally too weak to cause structural damage but are relatively common in areas with active fault systems.
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Although Karachi is not among Pakistan’s most earthquake-prone cities, it lies about 150 kilometres from the tectonic boundary where the Indian, Arabian and Eurasian plates meet near the Makran coast. The city is also crossed by several local fault lines, including the Landhi fault, as well as fault systems extending towards the Pab Fault and the Rann of Kutch.
According to PMD experts, such low-intensity earthquakes are part of the natural process through which stress accumulated along underground fault lines is gradually released. They say these minor tremors help release seismic energy and do not necessarily indicate that a larger earthquake is imminent.
