By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
An earth tremor has been felt across several parts of West Rand in Johannesburg, measured at 3.0 magnitude, according to primary data from EMSC.
The seismic activity was felt at around 21:25 in several nearby towns and cities, including Soweto, Roodepoort, and Randfontein.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or any significant damage. An earthquake of that strength is classified as minor but would be clearly felt and might cause small damage to buildings.
The impact of such a magnitude typically results in minimal-to-no damage to buildings and other structures.
However, the sensation of the ground shaking can be unsettling for individuals, sparking concern and fear.
?#Earthquake (#aardbewing) M3.0 occurred 16 km W of #Johannesburg (South Africa) 12 min ago (local time 21:24:01). More info at:
?https://t.co/bvL9EDQjKG
?https://t.co/1vDQnkvVEr
?https://t.co/AgsG2cNPbe pic.twitter.com/tiBjFVqvB7— EMSC (@LastQuake) October 4, 2023
The Council for Geoscience (CGS) is yet to confirm the magntiude of the tremor.
In August, the Council for Geoscience (CGS) confirmed that a 2.7 magnitude tremor rocked several areas on the West Rand, including Johannesburg.
Various communities also felt the ground shake, including in Soweto, Krugersdorp and Roodepoort, among other areas.
In 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 approximately 2:38am early on Sunday morning, causing homes and buildings to shake.
Earthquakes are rare in South Africa. The last one to measure 5.0 magnitude or higher was in 2014, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That 5.4 magnitude quake had its epicenter near the gold mining town of Orkney in the North West province and one person was reported to have died.