Earthquake of 5.7 magnitude hits Pakistan

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan on Saturday morning, Reuters reported. The tremor occurred just hours after a 4.0-magnitude quake had hit the region.

Shallow earthquakes tend to be more dangerous than deeper ones because their seismic waves have a shorter distance to travel to the Earth's surface. This results in stronger ground shaking, increasing the potential for structural damage and higher casualties.

Pakistan is among the most seismically active countries in the world due to its position along the boundary between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The ongoing collision between these plates generates frequent and often destructive seismic activity.

Several major fault lines run through the country, further heightening its vulnerability. The provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the former FATA lie on the southern edge of the Eurasian Plate, while Sindh, Punjab, and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir sit on the north-western edge of the Indian Plate.