9 earthquakes in 12 hours, panic across Pak-India border

Earthquakes have spread panic in the two neighboring countries of South Asia, India and Pakistan. A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale was felt in Pakistan early on Friday (January 9). The epicenter of the earthquake was the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border area.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that the earthquake that occurred early in the morning occurred at a depth of about 159 kilometers. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that its impact was felt in different parts of Tajikistan, China and Afghanistan apart from Pakistan.

According to Pakistani media reports, strong tremors were felt in different areas of the capital Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, causing panic among the general public. However, no loss of life or major damage has been reported in this earthquake so far.

Due to its geographical location, Pakistan is considered a highly earthquake-prone area as it is located at the junction of three major tectonic plates. Earlier, earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 and 3.2 were recorded in the country in September and October 2025, respectively.

At the same time, frequent earthquakes were also felt in the Indian state of Gujarat. According to the India Meteorological Department, a total of 9 earthquakes were recorded in the Rajkot district of the state in just 12 hours from Thursday evening (January 8) to Friday morning.

Although these tremors are classified as 'micro' and 'minor' on the Richter scale, there was no report of any loss of life or property, but there has been widespread panic among the locals. The earthquakes originated at a depth of about 27 to 30 kilometers northwest of Upleta town in Rajkot.

The first tremor was felt at 8:43 pm on Thursday and the last tremor was recorded at 8:34 am on Friday.

Experts have termed the number of earthquakes in Rajkot in a short span of time as ‘unusual’. Although the Kutch region of Gujarat is usually prone to earthquakes, the series of tremors in Rajkot has raised fresh concerns.

The simultaneous occurrence of earthquakes in India and Pakistan has once again highlighted the importance of earthquake prevention, preparedness and warning measures across the South Asian region. The meteorological departments concerned said that the situation is being closely monitored and local administrations have been kept alert for possible further tremors.

Source: Dawn, India Today