Nuclear tests behind series of earthquakes in Pakistan in last three days? NSC says….

Nuclear tests in Pakistan: In a significant development amid the India-Pakistan tensions, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake shook parts of Pakistan on Monday. As per the director of the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the epicenter of the earthquake was located close to a prominent faultline in its Punjab province. As a result of the earthquake, several media reports started saying that Pakistan has conducted a nuclear test. However, here’s the complete truth.

The earthquake occurred at 1:26 pm IST near Pir Jongal in Pakistan’s Punjab province, O P Mishra, Director of the NCS said.

Monday’s temblor was the third earthquake to hit Pakistan in a span of three days, prompting claims on social media of some “unusual activity” in the neighbouring country that was engaged in an armed conflict with India.

Epicentre of earthquake

Mishra said the epicenter of the earthquake was close to the Main Central Thrust, a geological faultline that is prone to seismic activity. Pakistan experienced two back-to-back earthquakes on May 10 – one 4.7 magnitude earthquake in the morning followed by a 4.0 magnitude temblor later.

The NCS chief dismissed the claims about possible nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan.

“Nuclear explosions have a distinct signature. A natural earthquake has two phases, while nuclear explosion has a distinct tertiary phase. This is due to reverberation of the surface following a nuclear explosion. Seismographs can detect this distinctly,” Mishra told PTI.

Veteran seismologist A K Shukla said that the nuclear explosions are recorded differently on seismographs.

(With inputs from agencies)

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