The epicentre of the quake was in southwestern Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region that is divided between neighbouring India and Pakistan, both of which claim it in its entirety.

According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, the depth of the tremors was 20 kilometres (12 miles). Shaking was felt across much of Pakistan, including Islamabad, some areas in the eastern Punjab, and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces bordering Afghanistan.

A magnitude 7.6 quake in 2005 killed thousands of people in Pakistan and Kashmir.