M5.7 Earthquake Strikes Near Khuzdar, Pakistan

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 48 kilometers west-northwest of Khuzdar, Pakistan, at a depth of 10 kilometers, at 5:06 a.m. UTC on Oct. 17, 2026, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

USGS estimated that about 35,100 people were exposed to intensity VI shaking, which it describes as "strong." About 3,590 people were exposed to intensity VII shaking, describing it as "very strong." The agency said some casualties and damage are possible and that the impact should be relatively localized. It put the estimated economic losses at less than 1% of Pakistan's gross domestic product.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the region on Feb. 27, 1997, about 290 kilometers north of the quake's epicenter, USGS data show. It exposed an estimated 545,000 people to intensity VII shaking and 139,000 to intensity VIII, and caused 60 reported deaths.

USGS said people in the region generally live in structures that are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant buildings exist; the predominant vulnerable types are adobe block and informal construction such as metal, timber and galvanized iron. Recent earthquakes in the area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that may have contributed to past losses.