A magnitude 4.2 earthquake hit 15km southwest of Gweru in Midlands province on Wednesday morning.
South Africa’s Council for Geoscience (CGS), said the earthquake that hit the Midlands province yesterday was of moderate magnitude. It said:
“The quake hit a shallow depth of 10km beneath the epicentre near Gweru, Midlands province, Zimbabwe, early yesterday morning.”
“The exact magnitude, epicentre and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations or as other agencies issue their reports.”
“Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake may not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as a light vibration in the area of the epicentre.”
The epicentre is the point on the earth’s surface vertically above the focus or hypocentre of an earthquake.
The CGS said the tremors were felt in parts of Gweru, Shurugwi, Lalapanzi, Redcliff, Kwekwe and Zvishavane, all within the Midlands.
The last earthquake to be recorded in the country occurred on January 25 this year, which measured 3.2 on the Richter scale and its epicentre was 19km northwest of Bulawayo. Reports had it that it had been felt as far as Francistown in Botswana.
In June 2021, CGS reported an earthquake of similar magnitude and depth near the Midlands capital.
There were, however, no casualties or damage to property caused by the earthquake.
Zimbabwe’s worst quake happened 16 years ago in Chipinge, which had magnitude of 7.0 and a depth of 11km.
