Two consecutive earthquakes in Zambézia – Schools damaged, two children wounded

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Two consecutive earthquakes in Zambézia – Schools damaged, two children wounded

12:40 CAT | 09 Mar 2018

Buildings in Quelimane were evacuated. Photo courtesy of Diário da Zambézia

Zambézia province was hit by two earthquakes on Thursday which registered 5.6 and 5.2 magnitude on the Ritcher scale. The earthquakes, both in the locality of Chire, in the district of Morrumbala, Zambézia province, caused damage in schools and left at least two children injured.

The first earthquake was recorded by the National Institute of Mines (INAMI) at 10:49:44 hours, at a depth of 6.4 kilometres and with a magnitude of 5.6 on the Richter scale. The second was felt at 11:52:04 hours, at a depth of 10 kilometres and with a magnitude of 5.2.

A statement from INAMI, the entity responsible for monitoring seismic activity in Mozambique, said that “the earthquakes were felt in the provinces of Tete, Zambezia, Manica, Sofala, Nampula, Cabo Delgado and Niassa and neighbouring countries such as Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe”.

“In the Milange District, the main earthquake caused damage at the Joaquim Maquival Secondary School, where a child broke an arm and was referred to the district hospital. In the locality of Vulalo, Administrative Post of Milange-sede, another child was injured and cracks appeared in one of the classrooms at the Primária de Vulalo School.”

Diário da Zambéxia reports that some buildings in Quelimane were evacuated yesterday because of the earthquake, which left “many people in a panic” and which was reportedly felt “for ten minutes”, between 10h40m and 10h50m a.m..

Earthquake injures pupils, damage infrastructure in Nsanje – Malawi

Mozambique is prone to earthquakes, being situated on the eastern margin of the Nubian Plate and at the southern end of the East African Rift System. Although INAMI registers small tremors almost every day, the last strong earthquake in Mozambique, at magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale, was registered in southern Manica province in September 2016.