Based on this earthquake update.

Islamabad

It began quietly—a faint vibration beneath the floor, a shiver through the walls—then, within seconds, the earth was in motion. Across Islamabad, residents felt the unmistakable force of a powerful earthquake, one that seemed to stretch on endlessly through the night.

People poured out of homes and apartment buildings, some clutching children, others reciting prayers as the ground beneath them trembled. Streetlights flickered, car alarms blared, and a deep sense of unease filled the air.

“We could feel the whole building swaying. It felt like it would never stop,” said a resident from Sector B-17, recalling the minute-long shaking that left many too frightened to go back inside.

Authorities have yet to confirm the epicenter or magnitude, but initial indications suggest the tremors originated from across the border in Afghanistan, a region frequently associated with deep-focus quakes.

For Islamabad’s residents, the night was a reminder of nature’s unpredictability—of how quickly calm can give way to chaos. Even as calm returned and lights came back on, the lingering fear of aftershocks kept many awake, scrolling through phones for updates and listening to the earth’s silence with wary ears.