Islamabad [Pakistan], November 20 : An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 struck Pakistan on Thursday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.
As per the statement, the earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.
In a post on X, NCS said, "EQ of M: 3.9, On: 20/11/2025 17:19:20 IST, Lat: 35.02 N, Long: 71.63 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Pakistan."
https://x.com/NCS_Earthquake/status/1991477832883794432?s=20
Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties.
Earlier on November 10, an earthquake of magnitude 3.6 struck Pakistan in the early hours.
According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 90 kilometres at 02:42 AM.
"EQ of M: 3.6, On: 10/11/2025 02:42:55 IST, Lat: 35.20 N, Long: 73.40 E, Depth: 90 Km, Location: Pakistan", NCS said on X.
https://x.com/NCS_Earthquake/status/1987643092347109799?s=20
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India lie in one of the most seismically active zones in the world, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. The region frequently experiences moderate to strong earthquakes, often felt across borders due to the proximity of fault lines.
Pakistan is among the seismically active countries in the world, crossed by several major faults.
This collision zone makes the country highly vulnerable to violent earthquakes. Provinces such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan lie on the southern edge of the Eurasian plate, while Sindh and Punjab are located on the northwestern edge of the Indian plate, contributing to frequent earthquake activity.
Balochistan is located near the active boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Other vulnerable regions, such as Punjab, which lies on the northwestern edge of the Indian plate, are susceptible to seismic activity. Sindh, though less prone, is still at risk due to its location.