JEHLUM (MNN); At least one person was killed and 11 others injured after an earthquake damaged several homes in Jhelum district’s Pind Dadan Khan tehsil on Tuesday, local authorities said.
According to Deputy Commissioner Mir Reza Ozgen, the earthquake struck the Jalalpur Sharif area, causing serious damage to around 10 houses. He confirmed that one person lost his life in the incident.
A statement issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department said the earthquake measured 4.8 in magnitude and was recorded at 7:06pm. The quake originated at a depth of 12 kilometres, with its epicentre located about 58 kilometres southwest of Jhelum.
The deputy commissioner said police, rescue teams and local administration officials reached the affected area soon after the quake, while search and damage assessment operations continued.
Assistant Commissioner Ayesha Shafqat said 12 injured people were taken to the Rural Health Centre in Jalalpur Sharif. Of them, eight with multiple injuries were later shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Jhelum for further treatment.
Earlier, District Emergency Officer Farhan Mirza said Rescue 1122 received an emergency call at 7:09pm reporting the collapse of the first floor of a house in Pind Dadan Khan, trapping several people under the debris.
He said rescue teams reached the site within eight minutes. Six injured people were recovered, while a teenage boy was found dead beneath the rubble.
Residents said tremors were felt across Sagharpur, Daryala Jalip, Haranpur and Jaitypur, with Jalalpur Sharif and Pindi Saidpur reported to be the worst-affected areas.
Pakistan frequently experiences earthquakes because it lies at the junction of the Arabian, Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, making seismic activity a recurring phenomenon across the region.
