GILGIT-BALTISTAN / RankWire.AI / – In northeastern Pakistan, early Thursday morning, a earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck, generating strong tremors felt across parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. According to Pakistan’s official seismic records, the quake was measured at magnitude 5.3. The seismic activity took place 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 estimated the earthquake’s depth at 15 kilometers. Citizens in various northern communities experienced the shaking during the early hours.
The tremor impacted districts such as Hunza and Nagar, with Chipurson Valley in Upper Hunza reporting some of the most noticeable ground effects. Residents evacuated their homes as the seismic waves traveled through communities nestled among steep mountain slopes. In some areas, landslides and falling rocks followed the initial shaking, with a rockfall blocking the Chipurson Valley road near Ramanji and disrupting local connectivity. This route is crucial for reaching remote settlements in a mountainous region where roads serve as vital links between villages and larger centers of population.
Initial assessments by officials indicated no casualties or injuries resulting from the main quake. There were also no confirmed structural damages reported at that stage. The primary impacts on local infrastructure involved rockfalls and landslides. The Gilgit-Baltistan administration closely monitored the affected zones and road conditions following the tremors, reviewing access to settlements where debris had reached mountain routes. The event added to a series of significant seismic activities in northern Pakistan during 2026, which has experienced multiple tremors recently.
Rockfalls Block Roads in Upper Hunza
Sost, a town situated along the Karakoram Highway corridor in northern Pakistan, was near the epicenter. Located south of the Khunjerab Pass, Sost functions as a gateway for communities across Upper Hunza. The Khunjerab route connects Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang region through a high-altitude border crossing. Much of the district’s terrain is mountainous, making road access vulnerable to rockfalls and slope failures. The earthquake on Thursday caused noticeable shaking across this remote region, with effects mainly reported from communities closest to the epicenter.
Later on Thursday morning, a second earthquake struck the same general vicinity. 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 roughly 28 kilometers west-northwest of Sost, placing it near the earlier quake. Both seismic events took place within approximately four hours, extending a period of heightened activity in Upper Hunza and nearby districts.
Repeated Seismic Shaking Hits Northern Pakistan
Earlier this year, the region also experienced a more powerful earthquake, a magnitude 5.8 event that struck on January 19 and impacted areas such as Hunza, Ghizer, and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. That earthquake caused landslides, damaged homes, and blocked roads in several mountain communities, leading to one death and multiple injuries. Chipurson Valley also suffered damage to residences and infrastructure, while road closures hampered access and travel between isolated settlements.
Northern Pakistan’s mountainous belt is part of a highly seismic zone driven by major tectonic plate movements. Earthquakes are common in Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and surrounding regions of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The August 13 quake again centered near Sost and delivered strong shaking to communities in Upper Hunza. While landslides and rockfalls disrupted road access, authorities confirmed no casualties from the main seismic event. Records indicate that a second significant tremor also occurred close to Sost later that morning, adding to the ongoing seismic activity in the area.