Tanzania Quake Leaves 13 Dead, 200 Injured

[1oldman2]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37330418
13 dead 200 injured in 5.7 Tanzania quake, near lake Victoria.

 

[davenn]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37330418
13 dead 200 injured in 5.7 Tanzania quake, near lake Victoria.

Fortunately a very low population density area in the immediate region of the epicentre
I see it also got upgraded to a M 5.9. I recorded the tiniest burst of surface waves from it for ~ 10 minutes
I would have easily have felt that had it happened back in late April 2016, I was only 150km (95 miles) from the epicentre
whilst visiting Uganda
Dave

 

[Astronuc]

I saw that yesterday, when it was listed as a 5.7 mag.

M5.9 - 23km ENE of Nsunga, Tanzania - near border with Uganda.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10006nkx#executive

Speaking of unusual or uncommon regions, there was also M6.0 - 51km N of Moyobamba, Peru
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10006nkg#executive

and this morning - a M5.3 - 4km ENE of Skopje, Macedonia - right under Skopje and shallow.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10006nuj#executive

 

[1oldman2]

there was also M6.0 - 51km N of Moyobamba, Peru

When I see Earthquake and Peru in the same sentence I always think of the coastal areas, I was surprised to see it so far inland. I noticed that area has a considerable history of quakes within the last 50 years.

and this morning - a M5.3 - 4km ENE of Skopje, Macedonia - right under Skopje and shallow.

I noticed the population of Skopje is over half a million, the surrounding area must be over a million easy, with the center so shallow this could have been much worse.

 

[1oldman2]

Fortunately a very low population density area in the immediate region of the epicentre
I see it also got upgraded to a M 5.9. I recorded the tiniest burst of surface waves from it for ~ 10 minutes
I would have easily have felt that had it happened back in late April 2016, I was only 150km (95 miles) from the epicentre
whilst visiting Uganda
Dave

Good thing the population was low in the area, looking at it on G Earth it doesn't look like there is much seismic engineering in the building codes. (Lake Victoria is a beautiful area, must be great to visit there.)

 

[davenn]

it doesn't look like there is much seismic engineering in the building codes.

yup, it's that way for most of Africa ( and other parts of the world -- pretty much all of south and central America and central Asia)
It is what accounts for the majority of the deaths, even from moderate events like this one

 

[davenn]

When I see Earthquake and Peru in the same sentence I always think of the coastal areas, I was surprised to see it so far inland. I noticed that area has a considerable history of quakes within the last 50 years.

Indeed, the Andes mountain range didn't get pushed up so high without 100's of 1000's of large and small quakes over millions of years
That whole western side of South America is very active as it is a mega-thrust subduction zone

I did get some surface waves from that Peru M6.0 for 10 - 20 minutes, nothing spectactular

Dave

 

[davenn]

Lake Victoria is a beautiful area, must be great to visit there

just as a little tease, this was the view of Lake Victoria from the hotel I stayed at in Entebbe

 

[1oldman2]

just as a little tease, this was the view of Lake Victoria from the hotel I stayed at in Entebbe

View attachment 105782

Nice landscaping, that pic reminds me of the Santa Barbara, California area. Interesting geology in that area considering the lake is sandwiched between two rifts. (What a flashback to the days of Idi Amin)