An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude shakes Islamabad
Islamabad was rocked by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Monday afternoon, however, there have been no reports of damage or injuries as of yet. The epicenter was located at a depth of 133 kilometers in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) in Islamabad. According to Express News, locals were alarmed by the earthquakes that were felt in neighboring cities, including the federal capital.
Islamabad and the neighboring areas did experience tremors, according to an NSMC spokesman, but no reports of damage have been made as of yet. 180 people were injured and at least two people died after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked portions of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa earlier this year. Concerns over the safety of Pakistan's infrastructure and the possibility of a low-intensity or comparable seismic disaster striking our region have been sparked by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
The World Bank claims that Pakistan's seismic hazards have only gotten worse following the 2005 earthquake. The World Bank estimates that "if the 2005 earthquake were to occur today, it could cost nearly twice as much — $2.8 billion — in damages to residential properties alone" in its Fiscal Disaster Risk Assessment Options for Consideration.
