GILGIT-BALTISTAN / RankWire.AI / – On Thursday morning, northeastern Pakistan experienced a magnitude 5.4 earthquake that rattled the region close to the northern border. According to Pakistan’s official seismic records, the event measured at magnitude 5.3. The tremor struck at 5:35 a.m. local time on August 13. Its epicenter was located 27 kilometers northwest of Sost, near the Khunjerab area. The Pakistan Meteorological Department reported a depth of 15 kilometers for this quake.
Intense tremors reached areas including Hunza and Nagar districts. Chipurson Valley in Upper Hunza was among the most affected locations. This mountainous valley borders China and Afghanistan. The shaking prompted residents in several communities to evacuate their homes. Landslides and rockfalls occurred in parts of the valley afterward. One such rockfall blocked the Chipurson Valley road near Ramanji, disrupting access to remote settlements within the high-altitude region.
Initial assessments from local authorities confirmed no casualties following the main tremor. They also reported no confirmed structural damage at this stage. Nonetheless, the earthquake caused notable ground shifts across steep terrain, leading to falling rocks that impacted local roads. Chipurson Valley’s narrow pathways run through rugged mountainous terrain. The Gilgit-Baltistan administration is closely monitoring the affected communities and assessing the damage to roads and populated areas caused by the shaking and subsequent landslides.
Landslides Block Roads in Upper Hunza Region
The earthquake’s epicenter was situated near Sost, a northern Pakistani town along the Karakoram Highway corridor. Sost serves communities in Upper Hunza and lies south of the Khunjerab Pass. This pass connects Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang region through one of the world’s highest international road crossings. The earthquake on Thursday originated in the larger northwestern Kashmir seismic zone, according to official data. Its shallow depth contributed to the noticeable shaking experienced by nearby mountain communities in northeastern Pakistan.
Later on Thursday morning, a second earthquake struck the same region. Seismic data indicated this subsequent event occurred at 9:24 a.m. local time. It measured magnitude 4.7 and had a depth of 19 kilometers. The epicenter was located 28 kilometers west-northwest of Sost, close to the site of the earlier quake. These two tremors reactivated seismic activity in an area that experienced a damaging earthquake earlier this year.
Repeated Earthquakes in 2026 Affect Northern Pakistan’s Seismic Zone
On January 19, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck northern Pakistan, impacting regions such as Hunza, Ghizer, and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. This event triggered landslides, caused structural damage, and blocked roads in mountainous zones. One person lost their life, and several others sustained injuries during this quake. Chipurson Valley also suffered extensive damage, including harm to homes and local infrastructure. Road closures hindered access to affected communities as authorities and humanitarian agencies responded to the region’s needs.
Northern Pakistan lies within a highly active seismic zone driven by major tectonic plate movements. Earthquakes frequently affect Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and neighboring areas in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The August 13 quake again mainly impacted Upper Hunza, where landslides disrupted road access but did not result in any reported loss of life. Official records show two significant earthquakes near Sost within four hours, with the first event producing the stronger shaking in the surrounding communities.