Strong Earthquake Hits Botswana

The US Geological Survey has confirmed that Botswana was hit by a fairly strong earthquake on Monday, measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale.

According to the seismologists monitoring the quake, the epicentre of the earthquake hit in the northwest of the country, 238 kilometers from capital of Gaborone, at about 19:40.

The experts also said that the earthquake struck around 11 kilometers deep, which is considered shallow.

Witnesses in Gaborone said that they could feel the rumble of the earthquake shaking through the city for about 30 seconds.

The earthquake was also felt in Botswana’s neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa, where witnesses in both Johannesburg and Durban reported feeling the quake.

One man from Durban, on South Africa’s east coast, said that they felt the quake strongly.

“The bed started shaking, it was very scary, I didn’t know what was going on,” he told the media.

However, this may have been the result of a smaller earthquake – believed to be associated with the earthquake in Botswana – that hit South Africa’s north western regions.

This quake was sizably smaller than the one in Botswana, measuring only 4.6 on the Richter scale.

No damage to buildings or injuries to people have been reported in Botswana or South Africa.