A minor earthquake hit the Lubimbi area in Binga on Sunday night and was felt by residents in Hwange.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 4.0 and no damages to property were recorded, reported the Chronicle.
Matabeleland North Province chief meteorological officer Austin Masikinye said the epicentre of the earthquake was Lubimbi in Binga District, close to Kamativi. He said:
An earthquake was felt in Hwange and Binga on March 5, 2023, at 2309hrs local time. The epicentre is in Binga, Lubimbi area near Kamativi.
No reports of damage were received, however, more inquiries would be made to determine its intensity in the locality and to determine the exact areas it was felt.
Residents in almost all Hwange town suburbs said they were shaken by underground movements on Sunday night.
Nolwandle Moyo from Ngumija and Prisca Mpofu, a resident of Cinderella township, about 10km from Ngumija, both said they felt the unusual movement from underground just after 10 PM.
Hwange Local Board spokesperson Dumisani Nsingo, who stays in Empumalanga, said:
I suddenly remembered the unfortunate events in Turkey and became very scared but thank God the intensity was minimal.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck South-Eastern Turkey and Northern Syria last month, killing 50 000 people, among them Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu.
MSD head of forecasting, James Ngoma said earth tremors are common in the Kariba area. He said:
Kariba is in a seismic tremor area, so now and again earthquakes are recorded. Those below 2.5 on the Richter scale may not be felt by humans but our machines regularly pick on those.
Earthquakes of between 2.5 and 4.5 on the scale are usually felt but we consider them to be minor and cannot cause damage. Anything above that is of concern.
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