Quake threat looms as Landhi fault line awakens
In the past 23 days, the city has experienced a total of 57 earthquakes, with most being minor to mild in intensity. However, some of the tremors have been significant, including one earthquake with a 3.8 magnitude, another with a magnitude of 3.7, and two earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.6. This recent surge in seismic activity has raised concerns among experts.
According to the Head of the National Tsunami Centre, Ameer Hyder Laghari, the earthquakes are linked to the Landhi fault line, one of the two active fault lines in the Karachi region. As per Laghari, in 2009, 36 earthquakes were recorded on the Landhi fault line over four months, and the series continued until 2021.
The recent series of earthquakes consisted of 57 tremors recorded so far, mostly of low intensity, but four significant quakes with magnitudes between 3.8 and 3.6. The National Tsunami Centre and Meteorological Department have released data showing that most of these quakes were recorded in Malir, Landhi, and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) areas.
According to Laghari, the fault line in Karachi is not a recent development, but has existed for centuries. Earthquakes have been recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries as well, although the intensity was not documented the same way as today, due to the lack of modern equipment. In the past, however, the area along the fault line was covered with forests and gardens, but now has been largely converted into residential areas. Laghari stated that converting past forests and gardens into solid constructions and unplanned human settlements is equivalent to damaging the ecosystem, stressing that it is necessary to encourage earthquake-proof constructions in areas near the fault line, similar to Japan's approach. He pointed out that in Japan, people also live near fault lines, but have designed their buildings to withstand natural disasters. He stressed the need for policies ensuring that constructions near the fault line are earthquake-proof, or built to a standard that can withstand earthquakes. This would require a specific approach to construction, and civil work that prioritises seismic resilience.
Laghari mentioned that micro-level studies have been conducted, which recorded the earthquakes on the Richter scale, even if they were not felt by the population, in order to better understand the causes of the recent quakes. He also urged that people be made aware of the earthquake risk, and be guided on safe construction practices, in order to mitigate the associated risks.
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Express Tribune
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Quake threat looms as Landhi fault line awakens
People of the densely populated areas of Landhi, Korangi, Quaidabad and Malir are literally shaken by the repeated, though, minor earthquakes. In the past 23 days, the city has experienced a total of 57 earthquakes, with most being minor to mild in intensity. However, some of the tremors have been significant, including one earthquake with a 3.8 magnitude, another with a magnitude of 3.7, and two earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.6. This recent surge in seismic activity has raised concerns among experts. According to the Head of the National Tsunami Centre, Ameer Hyder Laghari, the earthquakes are linked to the Landhi fault line, one of the two active fault lines in the Karachi region. As per Laghari, in 2009, 36 earthquakes were recorded on the Landhi fault line over four months, and the series continued until 2021. The recent series of earthquakes consisted of 57 tremors recorded so far, mostly of low intensity, but four significant quakes with magnitudes between 3.8 and 3.6. The National Tsunami Centre and Meteorological Department have released data showing that most of these quakes were recorded in Malir, Landhi, and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) areas. According to Laghari, the fault line in Karachi is not a recent development, but has existed for centuries. Earthquakes have been recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries as well, although the intensity was not documented the same way as today, due to the lack of modern equipment. In the past, however, the area along the fault line was covered with forests and gardens, but now has been largely converted into residential areas. Laghari stated that converting past forests and gardens into solid constructions and unplanned human settlements is equivalent to damaging the ecosystem, stressing that it is necessary to encourage earthquake-proof constructions in areas near the fault line, similar to Japan's approach. He pointed out that in Japan, people also live near fault lines, but have designed their buildings to withstand natural disasters. He stressed the need for policies ensuring that constructions near the fault line are earthquake-proof, or built to a standard that can withstand earthquakes. This would require a specific approach to construction, and civil work that prioritises seismic resilience. Laghari mentioned that micro-level studies have been conducted, which recorded the earthquakes on the Richter scale, even if they were not felt by the population, in order to better understand the causes of the recent quakes. He also urged that people be made aware of the earthquake risk, and be guided on safe construction practices, in order to mitigate the associated risks.
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Fury beneath the earth
Listen to article History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes. — Mark Twain Karachi, a city not traditionally associated with seismic upheavals, has been experiencing mild tremors of around 3.5 on the Richter scale almost daily for over a week now. While these may seem insignificant on the surface, those familiar with seismic history will find the pattern uncomfortably reminiscent of one of South Asia's most tragic natural disasters — the Quetta earthquake of 1935. Before that catastrophic event, Quetta had been experiencing mild tremors for nearly a month. Residents grew used to the gentle daily jolts, much like Karachiites are doing today. But on the night of May 31, 1935, disaster struck. A massive earthquake, measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, reduced Quetta to rubble in less than a minute. Over 30,000 lives were lost, including many British officers and their families, as well as local citizens. Habib Nullah's one side was razed entirely. The total destruction of Quetta was not entirely caused by a high-intensity earthquake but was greatly exacerbated by the fact that buildings were mostly made of unreinforced adobe and stone, which collapsed instantly during the violent tectonic activity. I doubt Quetta is architecturally prepared to face another significant earthquake along its prominent fault line. This tragedy is more than just history to me — it is personal. My late father, Shujaat Ali Siddiqi, then serving as Deputy Controller Military Accounts in Quetta, witnessed the foreboding tremors. A member of the elite Indian Audit and Accounts Service of undivided India, he had a narrow escape. What a coincidence that he was transferred to Lahore shortly before the fateful night — a twist of luck that possibly saved his life along with his family at the time. The recurrent tremors in Quetta did nothing to give a wake-up call, nor did the lurking danger throw any caution to the wind. But that echo of the past should be seriously heeded. Today, as Karachi experiences eerily similar tremors, it is vital that we don't allow familiarity to dull our caution. Experts must investigate these patterns seriously. Our city planners, civil defence teams and citizens should not dismiss these signs, lest history decide to echo with more force than we are prepared for. Karachi is a city that has mushroomed haphazardly. The longstanding calmness of the sea and earth has contributed to non-compliance with earthquake-resistant structural codes and techniques. The high-rise buildings in the city appear susceptible to collapse when the fury of the sea or earth, God forbid, strikes. Let Karachi not become another Quetta. The past whispers warnings — will we listen? At least keep an eye on birds and animals as they possess a special sense of foreboding such calamities. I recall a befitting sher to describe this phenomenon: Ye ek ishara hai afaat-e-nagahani ka Kisi jagah se parindon ka kooch ker jana
