GILGIT: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday, killing one person, injuring four others, and causing significant damage to homes, cattle sheds, and public and private property. The quake also triggered landslides that blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and several link roads, disrupting travel and daily life.
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The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported the earthquake occurred at 11:21am at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre in northwestern Kashmir. Meanwhile, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded a magnitude of 5.7 at a depth of 31 kilometres, about 58 kilometres northwest of Barishal.
The hardest-hit area was the Chipurson Valley in Upper Gojal, Hunza district, near the Pakistan-China border. Gilgit-Baltistan caretaker Information Minister Ghulam Abbas said the earthquake caused a landslide that struck a motorcycle carrying two riders in the Ishkoman Valley. Khush Baig, 60, died on the spot, while Afzal Khan, 35, was injured and taken to DHQ Hospital in Gahkuch, where his condition is stable.
Rescue 1122 reported that two children and a woman injured in Chipurson village were shifted to the Rural Health Centre in Sost after receiving first aid. Several kacha houses, cattle sheds, roads, and water channels were damaged, and large cracks developed in parts of the valley. Machinery from the Gilgit-Baltistan Communication and Works Department was mobilised to reopen blocked roads, including the Karakoram Highway, allowing traffic to resume.
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Deputy Commissioner Hunza Nizamuddin said the quake’s epicentre was likely near Chipurson Valley, which has experienced underground tremors for several months. Officials are conducting detailed damage assessments, and authorities have warned residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks.