A series of earthquakes struck northern Ethiopia on Saturday, prompting evacuations and sparking fears of a volcanic eruption. The strongest quake, which had a magnitude of 5.8, rocked the remote Afar, Oromia, and Amhara regions, which have been experiencing intense seismic activity for months.
Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far, but thousands of people have been affected by the quakes. Ethiopia’s government Communication Service reported that around 80,000 people live in the affected regions and that the most vulnerable individuals are being relocated to temporary shelters.
“The occurrences of the earthquakes are increasing in terms of magnitude and recurrences,” the government Communication Service said in a statement.Experts have been dispatched to assess the damage caused by the quakes, which have damaged homes and infrastructure. A top official at the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission estimated that at least 2,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that a shallow 4.7-magnitude quake struck near Metehara town in Oromia. The quakes have also raised concerns about a potential volcanic eruption at Mount Dofan, which has been dormant but has recently shown signs of activity.Earthquakes are common in Ethiopia due to its location along the Great Rift Valley, one of the world’s most seismically active areas.
Source: https://www-channelstv.com
