Tremors KwaZulu-Natal

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Tremors in KwaZulu-Natal? Residents urged to remain calm amid reports

Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka has called for calm in communities following reports of an earth tremor in KwaZulu-Natal.

Tremors KwaZulu-Natal

Image via: Adobe Stock

Early risers in KwaZulu-Natal may have woken up to unusual movements on Thursday 17 June. If you were one of them, you MAY have had the rare opportunity of experiencing an earth tremor.

Volcanoe.com indicated that it received unconfirmed reports of a 3.8-magnitude tremor in the uMzinyathi District Municipality, 72km northeast of Pietermaritzburg at around 4:00.

According to the Daily Monitor, earthquakes have to do with an underground surface called the fault plane. Breaking rocks under stress knock against the fault planes resulting in an earthquake. Tremors are caused when stress in underground rocks causes surface vibrations.

Earth movements that measure more than four points on the Richter scale are considered to be an earthquake, so KwaZulu-Natal residents…..if you felt a vibration, it was most likely a tremor. This, however, has not yet been confirmed according to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).

SOME RESIDENTS IN KWAZULU-NATAL SHOOK BY TREMORS

The tremor was reportedly experienced in various locations in Durban. Residents in Phoenix, Verulam, Hillcrest and Newland West were taken aback by the tremors.

Social media was abuzz with residents in awe of the tremors, so much so, that they shared their encounters. One social media user from Newlands said: “I felt it in Newlands West. The room shook for [four] seconds.”

Another Facebook user said: “Hi. I am from unit 10 Phoenix and felt the tremor it lasted approximately [two to three] seconds and my whole house vibrated.”

Another Phoenix resident who felt a shake said: “Yes. Felt it in Phoenix. Thought it was just heavy thunder. My windows were shaking.”

A SABC weather presenter on the Morning Live show alluded to the fact that seismic activity in Durban and surrounding areas could be linked to an earthquake that hit New Zealand on Wednesday. A 5.3 magnitude earthquake reportedly hit New Zealand in the vicinity of Whakatane.

International reports attribute the seismic event to another earthquake in Taiwan. Seismologists, however, are yet to confirm the tremor phenomenon in KwaZulu-Natal.

MEC HLOMUKA CALLS FOR CALM FOLLOWING REPORTS OF TREMORS NEAR DURBAN

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka called for calm following reports that were received by the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), of an earth tremor in or near Durban.

“We are calling upon our communities to remain calm while these claims are being verified. Reports we’ve received so far from our Disaster Management teams indicate that no major incident has occurred as a result of the alleged seismic activity,” said Hlomuka.

Hlomuka tasked the PDMC to work with the Council for GeoSciences in confirming specific details about the reported incident. The province has in the past experienced seismic activity.