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An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 struck Nepal on Sunday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported that the seismic activity originated at a depth of 11 kilometers below the surface, recorded at coordinates 34.55°N and 73.32°E.
The meteorological department said no felt reports were received from the affected area.
Just over 13 hours earlier, on November 29 at 23:46 PST, a tremor measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale struck 40 kilometers southwest of Sibi in Balochistan at a depth of 15 kilometers.
The earthquake, at coordinates 29.18°N and 67.66°E, also went unfelt by residents, according to the PMD.
The back-to-back tremors are part of a pattern of increased seismic activity this month. On November 1, a moderate 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck near Chitral at a depth of 50 kilometers. No casualties or damage were reported from that incident either.
All three earthquakes occurred at depths between 10 and 50 kilometers. The depth of a quake often determines how strongly it is felt on the surface – earthquakes like the recent tremors may go unfelt by residents despite being recorded by seismographs.
Pakistan sits at the collision point of two massive tectonic plates, the Indian plate pushing northward into the Eurasian plate.
This ongoing collision, which also created the Himalayan mountain range, generates earthquakes across different regions, from areas in the north to Balochistan in the southwest.
Earthquakes occur when stress builds up along the Earth's crust due to the movement of tectonic plates. When these plates suddenly shift or collide, energy is released in the form of seismic waves that cause the ground to shake.
An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 struck Nepal on Sunday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.
As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.
In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 4.2, On: 29/06/2025 14:19:05 IST, Lat: 29.35 N, Long: 81.94 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Nepal."
Shallow earthquakes are more dangerous than deeper ones due to their greater energy release closer to the Earth's surface, causing stronger ground shaking and increased damage to structures and casualties, compared to deeper earthquakes, which lose energy as they travel to the surface.
Nepal is highly earthquake-prone due to its location on a convergent boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. This collision generates immense pressure and stress, which is released as earthquakes. Nepal is also situated in a subduction zone where the Indian Plate is sliding beneath the Eurasian Plate, further increasing stress and strain.
Nepal lies in the Himalayan region, a zone of intense seismic activity caused by the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This collision results in the Indian plate pushing beneath the Eurasian plate in a process called subduction, creating immense pressure and strain on the Earth's crust.
The subduction zone further amplifies the stress, making Nepal highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The collision also contributes to the uplift of the Himalayan mountains, adding to the overall seismic activity in the region.
Nepal has a long history of earthquakes, including devastating events like the 2015 earthquake.
Earlier on April 26, a minute's silence was observed for 8,969 victims who lost their lives on April 25 2015, in the devastating earthquake of 7.8 Richter scale a decade ago.
Standing below the replica of Dharahara Tower that fell down during the earthquake a decade ago, killing dozens, Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli remembered those killed in the natural disaster.