Earthquake Safety for Travellers in Pakistan

Earthquake safety matters for travellers in Pakistan because the risk, though low-probability, is genuine. The highest hazard is in the north and northwest, in Kashmir, Hazara, the Hindu Kush and Quetta regions, and the main thing you can do is know the drill: drop, cover and hold on, stay away from windows, and expect aftershocks. Most tremors travellers feel are moderate and cause no damage, but a few regions have been hit by very large ones in living memory.

This guide covers where the risk is greatest, what to do if the ground shakes, and how to lower your risk when you choose a hotel or a mountain route.

Where are earthquakes most likely in Pakistan?

Seismologists describe five zones of high activity: the Hindu Kush region, the northern areas and Kashmir, north-western Balochistan, the Makran coast and the Rann of Kutch corner in the south-east. Kashmir, Hazara and Quetta have relatively high potential for large quakes.

Two events show what that means in practice:

• Quetta, 31 May 1935. A magnitude 7.7 quake destroyed the city, and estimates of deaths run from 30,000 to 60,000. Our page on the 1935 Quetta earthquake covers it.
• Kashmir, 8 October 2005. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake centred near Muzaffarabad killed at least 88,000 people across the region, about 87,000 of them in Pakistan. Muzaffarabad, Balakot, Bagh and Battagram were among the worst hit, and thousands of landslides caused about a third of the deaths and blocked roads.

Recent tremors are mostly from the Hindu Kush, deep beneath Afghanistan. In 2026, magnitude 5.4 to 6.2 shocks in February, April, June and August were felt in Islamabad, Peshawar, Swat, Chitral and Mansehra, with no serious losses in the reports we found. These are reminders, not signs of anything unusual.

Lahore, Karachi and much of the Punjab and Sindh plains face lower hazard, though Karachi can feel distant quakes.

What should you do during an earthquake?

The standard advice from the US Geological Survey and Red Cross is drop, cover and hold on:

1. Drop onto your hands and knees.
2. Cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table or desk if there is one close. If not, get next to an interior wall away from windows.
3. Hold on until the shaking stops.

Then:

• In bed at a hotel: stay where you are, curl up and protect your head with a pillow.
• Stay away from windows, mirrors, heavy furniture and wardrobes, and out of the kitchen.
• Don't stand in a doorway. That advice is a myth.
• Wait until the shaking stops, then leave by the stairs, not a lift, carrying shoes and your phone.
• Expect aftershocks and be ready to drop and cover again.
• Outdoors, move away from buildings, walls, power lines and steep slopes.
• In a car, stop somewhere clear of bridges, slopes and overhead lines, and stay inside.

What is different in the mountains?

Falling rock is often the bigger danger. Mountain roads in Kohistan, Hazara, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan run beneath steep, loose slopes, and a moderate quake can send stones onto the carriageway. If you feel a tremor on a mountain road, stop away from overhanging slopes if you can, and get out of the way of falling material. Do not shelter under a cliff or beside a river, where a landslide could dam the water.

After a strong tremor, roads can close for days, and bridges may be checked. Follow the instructions of local police and district administration and use PMD and NDMA for updates. Our guide to landslides in the northern areas covers what to do when a slide blocks your route.

How to choose a safer room

You cannot inspect a building like an engineer, but a few simple checks help:

• Prefer modern, reinforced concrete or well-built low buildings over old, heavy masonry or roofs with heavy mud and stone on light timber.
• Take a lower floor if you are nervous and the building is tall, so you exit quickly.
• Note the exits and stairs when you arrive.
• Do not sleep under a heavy wall-mounted item or beside a tall unsecured wardrobe.
• Keep shoes, a torch, your phone and documents by the bed.

Our guide to gas heater safety in hotels is worth reading for the same reason, since a quake in winter adds fire risk.

Is it safe to travel in earthquake zones?

Yes for almost everyone. Large earthquakes are rare, and a traveller's odds of being in one are very low. The risk is more important to plan for if you will be living, working or trekking for weeks in Kashmir, Hazara, Quetta or the Hindu Kush foothills.

Some of these areas also carry security warnings. The UK advises against all travel to Balochistan and against all travel within 10 miles of the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir, and against all but essential travel to the rest of AJK, and Pakistani visitors should check local news and police advice before travelling there. Foreign visitors should check their own government's advice, since it can affect insurance. See our FAQs for other pre-trip questions.

Frequently asked questions