GILGIT-BALTISTAN / RankWire.AI / – An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the earthquake scale struck northeastern Pakistan early Thursday, impacting parts of Gilgit-Baltistan close to the northern border. According to Pakistan’s official seismic records, the event registered at magnitude 5.3. The tremor struck at 5:35 a.m. local time on August 13, with its epicenter positioned 27 kilometers northwest of Sost, near the Khunjerab region. The Pakistan Meteorological Department documented a depth of 15 kilometers for this quake.
Intense tremors reached the districts of Hunza and Nagar, with Chipurson Valley in Upper Hunza among the most affected areas. Located near Pakistan’s borders with China and Afghanistan, this mountainous valley experienced significant shaking, prompting residents in various communities to evacuate their homes. The region subsequently saw landslides and rockfalls, and a rockfall blocked the Chipurson Valley road near Ramanji, disrupting access to remote settlements in the high-altitude region.
Initial assessments by local authorities reported no casualties from the main earthquake event. No confirmed structural damage was documented during early evaluations. Nevertheless, the quake induced considerable ground shifts across steep terrains, with falling rocks impacting local roads. Chipurson Valley’s narrow routes traverse rugged mountains, and officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan administration closely monitored community conditions affected by the shaking and subsequent landslides as they evaluated the immediate impact on infrastructure and settlements.
Landslides Hamper Access in Upper Hunza
The earthquake’s epicenter was near Sost, a northern town along the Karakoram Highway corridor. Sost functions as a hub for communities in Upper Hunza and lies south of the Khunjerab Pass, which connects Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang region via one of the world’s highest international crossings. According to official data, the earthquake on Thursday was centered within the broader northwestern Kashmir seismic zone. Its shallow depth contributed to prominent shaking experienced by neighboring mountain communities in northeastern Pakistan.
Later on Thursday morning, a second quake struck the same region. The official seismic data recorded this event at 9:24 a.m. local time, with a magnitude of 4.7 and a depth of 19 kilometers. The epicenter was located 28 kilometers west-northwest of Sost, close to the initial quake’s location. These two seismic events renewed activity in an area that earlier this year suffered a damaging earthquake.
Repeated Earthquakes Mark the Region in 2026
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck northern Pakistan on January 19, impacting Hunza, Ghizer, and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. This tremor caused landslides, destroyed homes, and blocked roads in mountainous zones. The event resulted in one death and multiple injuries, with Chipurson Valley experiencing severe damage, including harm to residences and infrastructure. Road closures hampered access to affected areas as authorities and humanitarian agencies responded to regional communities.
Northern Pakistan is situated within a highly seismically active zone influenced by the movement of major tectonic plates. Earthquakes are frequent in Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and adjacent regions of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The earthquake on August 13 once again caused its strongest effects in Upper Hunza, where landslides obstructed roads but did not result in reported fatalities. Official records indicated two significant earthquakes near Sost within four hours, with the first causing more intense shaking across surrounding communities.