Earth-shaking stuff! Earthquake felt near Durban on Tuesday

Who felt it? Dozens of people apparently experienced a ground-shaking earthquake near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, 23 August.

Dozens of people reported ground shaking, which was possibly caused by seismic activity, near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday night, 23 August.

POSSIBLE 3.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE IN KZN

Volcano Discovery said the reports were unverified. However, there were at least 27 user reports for the event, which the site estimated to have a magnitude of around 3.8 by using a seismic model. It occurred at approximately 21:07. Most users reported weak shaking, vibration and rolling that lasted for one to two seconds.

“My bed and cupboard was shaking, felt the whole house was shaking!” said someone in Southbroom.

“The roof and windows were rattling loudly!” added someone in Gillits. However, another user in Durban said they felt nothing but heard the window rattling.

“I was sitting at my desk studying. We live on the 3rd floor of an apartment block, along the eastern coast of South Africa. The desk appeared to roll, the lamp shook and I felt I needed to hold onto something,” said someone in Margate.

Volcano Discovery estimates that the epicentre of the seismic event was somewhere in the uMgungundlovu District Municipality.

The South African Council for Geoscience also picked up a 3.4 magnitude event at 23:08 somewhere near Swartberg in the Western Cape. The event was not analysed by a seismologist.

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By: Storm Simpson