On Sunday morning, an earthquake of moderate intensity, measuring 5.0 on the preliminary magnitude scale, struck Johannesburg. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), as well as South Africa’s Council for Geoscience, have confirmed the occurrence of the earthquake.
According to Earthquakelist.org, a reliable resource for global earthquake activity, the seismic event was shallow, originating approximately 17 kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface. Shallow earthquakes tend to have a more significant impact compared to deeper ones, as stated by the resource.
Reports indicate that shaking from the earthquake was felt as far as Botswana, while there are unverified rumours of seismic activity in Indonesia, Turkey, and the Bali Sea. Earthquakelist.org currently does not detect any risk of aftershocks but advises caution.
Delwyn Verasamy, a resident of Benoni, reported feeling the tremors at around 2:38 am. The shaking lasted for 10 to 15 seconds, causing him to wake up from sleep. Verasamy mentioned that the intensity of the earthquake startled dogs and caused birds to take flight. He personally described it as the most intense experience of this kind he had ever encountered.
Various social media posts from Johannesburg residents confirm that the earthquake was felt across the city. The USGS pinpointed the epicentre of the earthquake as six kilometres southeast of Alberton.
At present, it remains uncertain whether the earthquake has caused any damages or injuries.
Strongest Earthquake in Several Years
Earthquakelist.org has noted that this event marks the most potent earthquake experienced in South Africa in approximately six years. The resource mentioned that earthquakes of this magnitude are relatively uncommon in the region, but not unprecedented. The last major earthquake in the area occurred on April 3rd, 2017, measuring 5.2 on the magnitude scale and striking 148 kilometres further west-southwest. An even stronger earthquake, measuring 5.4, took place on August 5th, 2014.
The resource added that, on average, the region experiences one earthquake every five years.
While shallow earthquakes have the potential to trigger tsunamis, the current earthquake’s relatively small size and distance from the ocean make a tsunami warning highly unlikely, as clarified by Earthquakelist.org.
Watch footage of the scenes below:
A powerful magnitude 5.0 #earthquake happened in Johannesburg. pic.twitter.com/Uo9jSl1Rdd
— Harun Seker (@harunseker) June 11, 2023
