An earthquake of 4.3 hit South Africa’s South Coast on Thursday afternoon, leaving many residents terrified.
According to the South African Geological Council (CGS), the earthquake occurred 72 km southwest of Durban, but the CGS was still investigating where the epicenter of the earthquake was.
Storm Report SA on its Facebook page asked if anyone felt the earthquake, after which many KwaZulu-Natal residents said they had experienced the quake. Some people felt the vibration as far inland as Richmond, 115 km from Durban, and Port Edward, 164 km south of Durban.
Some social media users have speculated that the South African earthquake is related to the one that hit the Philippines on Thursday morning.
Information from the U.S. Geological Council indicates that Thursday’s earthquake happened near the Sawoti police station in Coolgardie, KwaZulu-Natal. According to the council, the earthquake occurred 10 km below the surface and was also felt in Lesotho.
Tommy Odendaal, a resident of Margate, about 134 km south of Durban, says he was home when the earthquake shook the house. Odendaal works in the security industry. “I was sitting in front of the TV and the next moment I just felt everything shake. The wall clock also started to sound funny. I thought there was a blast and went outside.
“It also looked like the sea was swelling, my gate is very close to the sea,” he says.
