In the morning of Saturday August 5th, 2023, a significant M5.0 earthquake hit under land 26 kilometer from Battagram in Pakistan. Afghanistan and Tajikistan are also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Pakistan, 26 kilometer (16 mi) northwest of Battagram in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 46 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Aug 5, 2023 08:06 (Karachi Time) - Aug 5, 2023 03:06 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 26 km NW of Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Coordinates 34°51'40"N 72°50'44"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.0 Detected by 160 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.045 . |
| Depth: | 46 km (29 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Pakistan , Afghanistan and Tajikistan are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake. Futher away, this earthquake may also have been felt in India.
Battagram in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 26 kilometer (16 mi) northwest of Battagram.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Battagram is located 26 km to the south-east. Rawalpindi is located 142 km to the south. Muzaffarābād is located 79 km to the south-east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 26 km (16 mi) SE from epicenter |
Battagram Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 45 km (28 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Mingora Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 67 km (42 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mansehra Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 79 km (49 mi) SE from epicenter |
Muzaffarābād Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 84 km (52 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Bat Khela Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Abbottabad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 88 km (55 mi) NW from epicenter |
Thal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 89 km (55 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Swabi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 89 km (55 mi) S from epicenter |
Khalabat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 90 km (56 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Topi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 94 km (58 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Havelian Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 96 km (60 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Zaida Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 96 km (60 mi) S from epicenter |
Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 96 km (60 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Upper Dir Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 104 km (65 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 110 km (68 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Tordher Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Hazro City Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 116 km (72 mi) SW from epicenter |
Akora Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 117 km (73 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Murree Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 118 km (73 mi) SW from epicenter |
Risalpur Cantonment Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 123 km (76 mi) SW from epicenter |
Nowshera Cantonment Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 124 km (77 mi) SW from epicenter |
Utmanzai Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 126 km (78 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Tangi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 127 km (79 mi) SW from epicenter |
Aman Garh Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) S from epicenter |
Islamabad Islamabad, Pakistan. |
| 129 km (80 mi) SW from epicenter |
Charsadda Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 130 km (81 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Attock City Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 135 km (84 mi) SW from epicenter |
Pabbi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 138 km (86 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Kamra Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 138 km (86 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Shabqadar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 140 km (87 mi) SE from epicenter |
Rawalakot Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 142 km (88 mi) S from epicenter |
Rawalpindi Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SW from epicenter |
Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Kahuta Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 155 km (96 mi) W from epicenter |
Asadābād Kunar, Afghanistan. |
| 155 km (96 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Bāramūla Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 162 km (101 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Sopur Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 167 km (104 mi) SE from epicenter |
Pūnch Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 172 km (107 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Bandipura Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 178 km (111 mi) SE from epicenter |
Kotli Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 184 km (114 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Gujar Khan Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Pindi Gheb Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 192 km (119 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Soyībug Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 192 km (119 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kohat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 199 km (124 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 208 km (129 mi) SSE from epicenter |
New Mirpur Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 214 km (133 mi) S from epicenter |
Chakwal Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 224 km (139 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Jalālābād Nangarhar, Afghanistan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Jhelum Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 235 km (146 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ishqoshim Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 239 km (149 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Bhimber Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 242 km (150 mi) W from epicenter |
Mehtar Lām Laghman, Afghanistan. |
| 279 km (173 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Gujrat Punjab, Pakistan. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Pakistan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Chakwāl, Punjab, Pakistan: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 29th, 2023, when a 5 magnitude earthquake hit 277 km (172 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on October 26th, 2015.
In total, 81 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 2 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 46 km (29 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/10/23 21:17 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000ky0p
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230805_0000023
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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