Strong earthquake shakes South Africa’s Johannesburg, authorities take note of damage

South Africa’s Johannesburg was shaken by a 5.0 magnitude earthquake on Sunday, throwing tremors across country’s most populous province, the United States Geological Survey reported.

The tremor struck at 2:38 am (0038 GMT) or 6:08 AM (IST) around 10 kilometres (six miles) below the surface, the USGS said.

Buildings shook across the province of Gauteng, where Johannesburg, the country’s largest city and commercial hub, is located.

Residents across the province felt the tremor and some posted pictures on social media showing minor structural damages of walls.

In August 2014, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit a gold mining town near Johannesburg.

The last major quake to hit South Africa was a 6.3-magnitude tremor that struck the Western Cape province in 1969.

@WION