Light magnitude earthquake hits Stilfontein in North West

There were no reports of any damages or injuries after a light magnitude earthquake hit the North West province.

According to Volcano Discovery, the 3.5 earthquake hit 15.6km away from Stilfontein just after 10am on Wednesday.

“The quake had a very shallow depth of 5km and was felt by many near the epicentre. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicentre than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would,” it said.

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) is yet to comment on the quake.

Cape Town quake

In March, the City of Cape Town was rattled by a mild earthquake.

The CGS, which monitors seismic wave activities throughout the country, said the quake struck just before 6pm.

“The analysis results show that the earthquake registered a local magnitude of approximately 1.4, as recorded by the South African Seismograph Network (SANSN). The epicentre was located along the Diepriver in close proximity to Milnerton Rural area,” CGS spokesperson Mahlatse Mononela said.

ALSO READ: Cape Town rattled by mild earthquake, CGS confirms

Gauteng quakes

Meanwhile, Gauteng has seen its fair share of earthquakes recently with the last one recorded in January this year.

The earthquake registered a local magnitude of approximately 2.5 as recorded by SANSN with the epicentre located south of Johannesburg, approximately 3km north of Harmony Doornkop Gold Mine.

On 11 June 2023, South Africans were awoken by a powerful 4.4 magnitude earthquake, which was felt across large parts of Gauteng.

The quake hit the south of Boksburg at about 2.38am, causing homes and buildings to shake.

Just two weeks later, on 29 June, Johannesburg residents were shaken awake by a 2.9 magnitude quake originating in Soweto.

With a number of tremors hitting South Africa, the head of Archaeology and Geography at Wits University, Professor Gillian Drennan, told The Citizen last year that it was very difficult to predict if the country will experience a major earthquake with catastrophic consequences.

ALSO READ: 2.5 magnitude earthquake rattles parts of Joburg and West Rand