Met Dept warns of earthquake aftershocks which may damage buildings and injure people
Image Credit: Strange Sounds
The Meteorological Services Department yesterday warned of aftershocks of an earthquake that shook Botswana on Monday night and was felt felt in parts of Zimbabwe. The department warned that the after aftershocks can damage buildings and injure people.
In a statement, the Met Department said:
This was a large regional earthquake thus we expect aftershocks hours, days or weeks after the main earthquake. Aftershocks can cause building damage and falling debris that can injure people. People should check for infrastructural damage to their properties as this earthquake was widely felt in Plumtree, Gwanda, Bulawayo, Hwange, Victoria Falls and even Harare. This should give us lessons as a country that we are not safe from earthquakes and that earthquakes are a hazard.
This is a very big earthquake thus it has higher chances of causing infrastructural damage. A comprehensive intensity survey would need to be carried out in areas like Plumtree and most parts of south western Zimbabwe. This would generate a well detailed intensity survey report thus helping to map the areas the earthquake was felt and intensity in each area.
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