KARACHI (Dunya News) – Residents of several areas of Karachi are in a state of panic as more than 15 mild earthquakes have shaken these localities in the last three days, it is learnt.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Seismic Monitoring Centre says the latest tremor measuring 2.8 occurred at 9:57am on Tuesday. Two tremors were recorded on Monday night.
One tremor struck around 11:15pm, with 2.4 magnitude. The epicentre was recorded near Malir, around 10 kilometres below the surface.
Parts of the mega city where the tremors were felt included Landhi, Sherpao Colony and Quaidabad.
An earlier quake was recorded at 8:49pm, with a magnitude of 3.0. The epicentre was located approximately 30 kilometres east of the Defence Housing Authority, at a depth of 13 kilometres, the monitoring centre said.
Earlier, residents reported feeling tremors in the vicinity of Landhi and Malir at approximately 10:25am.
Locals from Quaidabad, Malir, Saudabad, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Khokhrapar, Steel Town, and surrounding neighbourhoods also confirmed experiencing the jolts.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar visited Malir’s District Jail after the jailbreak incident and said repeated earthquakes seemed to have caused anxiety among the prisoners.
WHAT CHIEF METEOROLOGIST SAYS?
Chief Meteorologist Aamir Haider says activation of the Landhi faultline is the cause of repeated tremors, which will take time to normalise.
He says mild earthquakes may continue for few days as energy is gradually being released from the faultline. In fact, he adds, slow release of energy helps prevent the risk of a major earthquake.
He says the buildings situated directly above the faultline should be capable of withstanding tremors of up to magnitude 6.
As for reports of cracks in buildings, he says these problems occur with weak and dilapidated structures.