Earthquake of magnitude 4.2 hits Pakistan, third in four days

An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 struck Pakistan on Friday, marking the third in four days, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 hit Pakistan on Friday, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

This marks the third earthquake in four days. On Thursday, a 4.4 magnitude quake was reported in the country. It struck at 16:06 IST. (Pic used for representation)

The quake occurred at 1:37 pm IST at a depth of 180 km.

“EQ of M: 4.2, On: 30/05/2025 13:37:52 IST, Lat: 32.57 N, Long: 69.82 E, Depth: 180 Km, Location: Pakistan,” NCS wrote on X.

This marks the third earthquake in four days. Several earthquakes have hit the country over the last month as well, in quick succession.

On Thursday, a 4.4 magnitude quake was reported in the country. It struck at 16:06 IST.

NCS had earlier posted: "EQ of M: 4.4, On: 29/05/2025 16:06:56 IST, Lat: 30.14 N, Long: 70.36 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Pakistan."

Earlier, an earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on the Richter Scale jolted Pakistan on Tuesday, the NCS said.

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at 7:20 pm (IST) at latitude 31.31 N, and longitude 72.52 E.

In a statement shared on X, the NCS stated, "EQ of M: 4.2, On: 27/05/2025 19:20:39 IST, Lat: 31.31 N, Long: 72.52 E, Depth: 111 Km, Location: Pakistan."

On May 12, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, with tremors felt across nearby areas, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC).

Earlier, on May 10, Pakistan was shaken by two successive quakes — a 4.7-magnitude tremor in the morning, followed by another measuring 4.0 later in the day.

What is the reason behind frequent earthquakes in Pakistan?

According to a report by The Times of India, Pakistan ranks among the most earthquake-prone nations globally, owing to its position along the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. The continuous collision between these plates results in frequent—and at times, destructive—seismic activity.

Several major fault lines run across the country, significantly raising the earthquake risk, especially in areas like Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the former FATA, which lie along the Eurasian Plate. In contrast, regions such as Sindh, Punjab, and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir are located on the Indian Plate.

The country experiences earthquakes of varying magnitudes regularly, with the 2005 quake being the deadliest, claiming over 74,000 lives.