GILGIT-BALTISTAN / RankWire.AI / – A magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit northeastern Pakistan early Thursday, producing strong tremors felt across parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan’s official seismic authority registered the event at magnitude 5.3. The tremor struck at 5:35 a.m. local time on August 13, with its epicenter approximately 27 kilometers northwest of Sost, near the Khunjerab region. The Pakistan Meteorological Department reported the depth at 15 kilometers. Communities in several northern areas experienced the shaking during the early hours.
Districts of Hunza and Nagar were affected, with Chipurson Valley in Upper Hunza reporting some of the clearest ground effects. Residents evacuated their homes as the tremors moved through communities surrounded by steep mountain slopes. Landslides and falling rocks followed in parts of the valley, with a rockfall blocking the road near Ramanji and disrupting local access. This route connects remote settlements in a region where mountain roads are vital links between villages and larger towns.
Initial assessments from authorities indicated no deaths or injuries from the main earthquake. Structural damage has not yet been confirmed. The primary impacts documented are rockfalls and landslides affecting local infrastructure. The Gilgit-Baltistan administration monitored affected areas and road conditions after the tremors. Officials also evaluated access to settlements where debris had blocked mountain routes. The event adds to the ongoing seismic activity in northern Pakistan in 2026, a region prone to frequent tremors.
Rockfalls obstruct roads in Upper Hunza
The earthquake’s epicenter was near Sost, a town along the Karakoram Highway corridor in northern Pakistan. Sost lies south of the Khunjerab Pass and serves communities across Upper Hunza. The Khunjerab route connects Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang region through a high-altitude border crossing. The mountainous terrain around much of the district makes road access vulnerable to rockfalls and slope failures. Thursday’s seismic activity caused noticeable shaking in this remote region, particularly affecting communities nearest to the epicenter.
Later Thursday morning, a second earthquake struck the same area. According to official data, this tremor occurred at 9:24 a.m. local time, registering a magnitude of 4.7 with a depth of 19 kilometers. Its epicenter was about 28 kilometers west-northwest of Sost, close to the initial event. Both tremors occurred within approximately four hours, extending the period of seismic activity across Upper Hunza and nearby districts.
Northern Pakistan Continues to Experience Seismic Activity
Earlier this year, the region saw a stronger quake. On January 19, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake impacted Hunza, Ghizer, and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, triggering landslides, damaging homes, and blocking roads across mountain communities. One person died, and several others were injured. Chipurson Valley also suffered damage to homes and infrastructure. Road closures complicated access, hindering travel between isolated settlements.
The northern mountain belt of Pakistan is part of a highly active seismic zone influenced by major tectonic plate movements. Earthquakes regularly impact Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and neighboring areas of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The August 13 quake, centered near Sost, caused strong shaking in communities across Upper Hunza. Landslides and rockfalls disrupted road access, but authorities confirmed no casualties from the main tremor. Records also show a second notable earthquake near Sost later that morning, highlighting ongoing seismic activity in this tectonically active region.