Staff Writer
11 Jun 2023
Residents of Gauteng were left shaken on Sunday morning (11 June) after a earthquake hit the south of Boksburg in the early hours of the morning.
The tremors hit around 02h38 in the morning, measuring between 4.5 and 5.0 in magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake measured 5.0 in intensity and was recorded about 10 kilometres underground.
The shocks were felt across the greater Johannesburg area reaching as far north as Pretoria and as far south as Vereeniging.
The South African Council for Geoscience recorded the quake at a magnitude of 4.7, making it one of the biggest earthquakes to hit the country in recent memory. The council tracks all seismic events and their locations.
International risk management group Crisis24 noted the earthquake on its tracker, saying that although no damage has been reported – and significant damage is not expected – residents of multistory buildings should remain cautious.
“It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.
“Out of an abundance of caution, consider vacating multistory buildings where shaking occurred until authorities confirm their structural integrity. Monitor and plan for aftershocks,” it said.
Medium and light shaking was recorded during the event, with the impact large enough to have woken people up.
Previous earthquakes in South Africa have resulted in fatalities where broken or poor infrastructure has collapsed. In 2014, a 5.3 quake near Orkney resulted in one death after a wall collapsed on a person, while others were left injured.
There have been no reported injuries or fatalities related to the Sunday quake so far.
Read: The biggest, deadliest earthquakes in history
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