Johannesburg and its surroundings were hit by an earthquake on Wednesday evening.
The earthquake occurred at 21:24. According to the Council for Geosciences (CGS), the magnitude 2.7 quake occurred in the greater Randfontein region on the West Rand.
“Seismologists from the CGS are analyzing the data after which the exact location and strength of the shaking will be revealed.”
Residents of Johannesburg turned to social media after the shaking. There have been no reports of injuries or damage at this stage.
Wednesday night’s shaking follows June’s powerful 4.7 magnitude earthquake that woke residents of Johannesburg in the early hours of the morning and was felt across large parts of Gauteng and even neighboring provinces. The epicenter was in the Alberton‑Boksburg area.
Light earthquakes and seismic activity occur regularly across parts of South Africa. According to the CGS, the difference between an earthquake and an earthquake lies in the extent of the event. In the South African context, a seismic event of less than 4.0 is considered an earthquake.
The earthquake which caused the greatest damage in South Africa to date, struck Tulbagh in the Western Cape in 1969. That tremor measured 6.3. Many buildings were destroyed during this earthquake and a total of 12 people died.
