ISLAMABAD: Aftershocks are expected after the severe intensity earthquake of 7.1 at Richter scale which jolted many parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Kashmir and Northern Areas of the country on Sunday afternoon.
Director Earthquake Centre, Pakistan Metrological Department, Zahid Rafih told media that it was a different earthquake from the previous highest intensity earthquake of 8.1 occurred on October 26, 2015 as its epicenter was towards Tajikistan border in North and North West areas near Waran.
“This is new location and it is expected that land energy would be released in the form of aftershocks”, he said.
He informed that more than 100 earthquakes were recorded after the highest reported earthquake in October last with two major after shock jolts in December last year.
He stated that so far no reports of damages has been received as yet but gradually the local authorities would get the updates and the situation would be clearer regarding life and property losses.
The director replying to a query said that a risk assessment survey needed to be done at the earliest to reduce quantity and intensity of losses by identifying which villages, town and other areas are more vulnerable to be affected by these earthquakes.
Zahid Rafih further said the building codes should be strictly followed by in construction of houses and buildings and a policy should be established at local areas especially near fault-lines for limiting gravity of damages.
