WATCH: 5.0 MAGNITUDE QUAKE HITS LARGE PARTS OF GAUTENG

Photo: Screenshot

Sun 11 June 2023:

Gauteng residents awoke early Sunday morning to heavy shaking and rumbling, local media reported.

At 2.38 a.m., a moderate earthquake struck areas of the province.

People said the shaking was strong enough to wake them up and some homes suffered relatively minor damage, but there were no immediate reports of injuries. “The whole house shook for about 40 seconds,” one resident in Alberton said.

Many others also shared photos of home damage on the East Rand.

#tremor felt in Boksburg pic.twitter.com/AXaD5n5l2b

— phashash 🇿🇦 (@GlamPhasha) June 11, 2023

Here we go pic.twitter.com/Fzci8h4Ta1

— CaZ UniQ (@Cazwhin) June 11, 2023

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.0.

It is believed to have struck around 10 kilometers beneath the surface, about 16 kilometers southeast of Johannesburg.

The epicentre is located on the East Rand near Katlehong.

Tremors have been observed as far away as Pretoria.

pic.twitter.com/J8KKYP5dtm

— 🔞SA911 (@JustdoitZee) June 11, 2023

Notable quake, preliminary info: M 5.0 – South Africa https://t.co/9xDGseDluG

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) June 11, 2023

These are some videos, pictures and messages people have posted on Twitter following the #GautengQuake.
No major damage or injuries have been reported yet. Independent Scientific Organisation, EMSC, says aftershocks may occur. Please tweet us your videos or pictures. #DStv403 pic.twitter.com/9BKntELl8I

— eNCA (@eNCA) June 11, 2023

South Africa’s biggest earthquake in recent history

South Africa’s biggest earthquake in recent history hit the Western Cape in 1969. It was about 10pm when Ceres residents thought the world was coming to an end. Homes and buildings were reduced to rubble, five children and two adults died, and scores of people were left destitute.

The quake on September 29 rocked an area of about 160km² in the province, jolting places as far apart as Wolseley, Robben Island, Paarl and Hout Bay and with tremors being felt as far afield as Port Elizabeth and Durban.

What makes the Earth shake?

Natural earthquakes are caused by irresistible forces in the Earth’s crust. They’re powered by radioactive heat generated in the core that slowly moves continents and build mountains.

But not all earthquakes are natural. Some of South Africa’s gold and platinum mines are so deep that the great stresses around excavations exceed the strength of the rock, which may rupture suddenly. Micro-earthquakes (as small as M=1) can cause shaking strong enough to damage nearby excavations.

These rockbursts pose a risk to mine workers and nearby communities. Rockbursts occur anywhere where mining is deep enough that the mining-induced stresses exceed the strength of the rock. Countries where this occurs include Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Poland, Sweden, Russia and the US.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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