Two moderate earthquakes recorded in Gulf region

Dubai: Sultan Qaboos University Earthquake Monitoring Center has reported two moderate earthquakes in the wider Gulf region on Friday, one in the Arabian Gulf and another in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province.

The first tremor, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 3:08pm local time. According to the centre, the epicentre lay approximately 386 kilometres north-west of Khasab, in the waters of the Arabian Gulf. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Earlier in the morning, at 10:30am, a second earthquake measuring 4.3 was recorded in Baluchistan, Pakistan. Its epicentre was located around 804 kilometres north-east of Sur, Oman, also at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Seismic maps released by the monitoring centre show both quakes occurring offshore or in sparsely populated areas. No immediate reports of damage or casualties were issued.

The Arabian Peninsula lies near several active fault lines, including the boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates.