Earthquake. Second set of tremors hit SA’s northern provinces

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Earthquake. Second set of tremors hit SA’s northern provinces

9:09 CAT | 03 Apr 2017

Sephele Twitter / Africa News / Residents of Joburg CBD seeking refuge outside their buildings following a significant #EarthTremor around 19h40

Residents in SA’s North West, Limpopo and Gauteng experienced tremors for a second time on Monday.
The first tremors were felt on Monday morning, but Twitter users took to the platform to describe their experiences with a second set of tremors later in the afternoon.

The tremors were reportedly the result of a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Botswana, the country’s northern neighbour.

Some 15 hours earlier, there had been a magnitude 5.2 quake south of Stilfontein in North West province.

ER24 said earthquakes were unusual in South Africa, and the tremors experienced from time to time rarely cause major infrastructure damage.

The company offered the following advice on what to do during an earthquake:

1) Stay calm.

2) Try and stay where you are. Use large and sturdy objects such as a big desk to crawl under. If you are in a building, try and stand with your back against the wall near the centre of the building. You should try and stay away from windows and outside doors.

3) Should you be outside at the time of an earthquake, look around you. Ensure you are clear from power cables or anything overhead that might fall on you. Do not stand near or against a building, debris might fall on top of you.

4) Use the stairs to evacuate premises (only when it is safe to do so).

What should you do after an earthquake?

1) Establish if you have sustained any injuries. Check around you and try to see if anyone else sustained any injuries. If you can provide first aid, proceed to do so.

2) Call for medical assistance if someone has sustained an injury.

3) If the building you are in sustained structural damage, even if you are unsure, evacuated calmly and quickly (if possible).

4) Try and listen to your local radio station for emergency or news updates.

5) Do not enter any damaged buildings or areas.

6) There might be debris lying around. Be very careful around broken glass and other items that can cause you harm. Do not take off your shoes.

7) Stay away from beaches until the area has been announced as safe.

8) If the area you are in has an evacuation or emergency plan, try and follow it.

9) Expect aftershocks.