GILGIT-BALTISTAN / RankWire.AI / – An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale struck northeastern Pakistan early Thursday, with strong tremors felt throughout parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan’s official seismic records recorded the quake at magnitude 5.3. The incident occurred at 5:35 a.m. local time on August 13, with its epicenter approximately 27 kilometers northwest of Sost, near the Khunjerab area. The Pakistan Meteorological Department indicated a depth of 15 kilometers. Multiple communities across the northern region experienced the ground shaking during the early morning hours.
The seismic activity impacted districts of Hunza and Nagar, with Chipurson Valley in Upper Hunza reporting some of the most evident surface effects. As tremors swept through communities nestled among steep mountain slopes, residents evacuated their homes. Landslides and falling rocks were reported in parts of the valley, with a rockfall blocking the road in Chipurson near Ramanji and hampering local transportation. This route is crucial for connecting remote settlements in a mountainous region where roads serve as lifelines between villages and larger towns.
Initial assessments by authorities confirmed no fatalities or injuries from the main tremor. No confirmed structural damage was reported at that stage either. The primary impact on local infrastructure involved rockfalls and landslides. After the quake, officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan administration monitored affected zones and assessed road conditions, especially where debris had fallen onto mountain routes. The seismic event contributed to a series of tremors affecting northern Pakistan in 2026, a region known for its recurrent seismic activity.
Rockfalls Cause Road Closures in Upper Hunza
The earthquake’s epicenter was located near Sost, a town along the Karakoram Highway corridor in northern Pakistan. Situated south of the Khunjerab Pass, Sost serves as a hub for communities across Upper Hunza. The Khunjerab route connects Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang region through a high-altitude border crossing. The district’s mountainous terrain makes road access highly vulnerable to rockfalls and slope failures. The tremor on Thursday produced noticeable shaking across this remote landscape, with effects primarily reported in communities closest to the epicenter.
Later on the same day, a second earthquake struck the area. According to official seismic data, this tremor occurred at 9:24 a.m. local time, measuring magnitude 4.7 with a depth of 19 kilometers. Its epicenter was approximately 28 kilometers west-northwest of Sost, placing it close to the earlier quake. Both tremors occurred within roughly four hours, extending a period of heightened seismic activity in Upper Hunza and surrounding districts.
Repeated Seismic Shaking Characterizes Northern Pakistan
Earlier this year, northern Pakistan experienced a more powerful earthquake, registering at magnitude 5.8. That event struck on January 19, impacting Hunza, Ghizer, and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. Landslides, home damage, and road blockages followed, disrupting transportation and access to several mountain communities. One individual lost their life, and others sustained injuries. The damage in Chipurson Valley included destroyed homes and compromised infrastructure, with road closures hampering travel between isolated settlements.
The northern mountain belt of Pakistan is part of a highly active seismic zone, heavily influenced by ongoing tectonic plate movements. Regular earthquakes affect regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and neighboring zones across northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The August 13 event, centered near Sost, caused strong shaking in Upper Hunza. While landslides and rockfalls blocked roads, authorities reported no casualties from the main quake, and a second significant tremor was documented nearby later that morning.