Tanzania was struck by a series of moderate earthquakes measuring between 4.8 and 5.9 on 8 December 2009. This caused homes in a region near a new uranium mine to collapse. A one-year-old boy was killed and 12 people were injured by this natural disaster, officials said.“The strongest earthquake was recorded early Tuesday and its magnitude was 5.9 on the Richter scale,” said Leonard Kalindekafe, director of the Malawi Geological Survey. At least 12 tremors ranging between 4.8 and 5.1 have hit the northern Karonga district since 6 December 2009.
According to the police, the one-year-old boy died after a kitchen collapsed down on him. The other 12 victims were also injured in collapsing buildings or while they were trying to flee their homes. 6 of these victims were admitted to the nearby hospital and the rest were treated for minor injuries.
The commissioner of the Karonga district, Gasten Macheka, said that the government had set up a task force to assess the damage. He also said the villagers were living in fear after the tremors shook the district over 15 times.
“We have abandoned our houses to sleep in the open for fear of buildings collapsing on us,” one of the villagers said, adding that his house had developed cracks in the walls.
Tremors also hit neighbouring Tanzania, causing panic but no reported damage or casualties have been reported yet.
According to the police, the one-year-old boy died after a kitchen collapsed down on him. The other 12 victims were also injured in collapsing buildings or while they were trying to flee their homes. 6 of these victims were admitted to the nearby hospital and the rest were treated for minor injuries.
The commissioner of the Karonga district, Gasten Macheka, said that the government had set up a task force to assess the damage. He also said the villagers were living in fear after the tremors shook the district over 15 times.
“We have abandoned our houses to sleep in the open for fear of buildings collapsing on us,” one of the villagers said, adding that his house had developed cracks in the walls.
Tremors also hit neighbouring Tanzania, causing panic but no reported damage or casualties have been reported yet.
“So far there is no report of death, injury or damage of houses on the Tanzanian side but there is a lot of panic,” said Anicent Minde of the Tanzanian Geological Centre. He said the earthquakes seemed to be caused by the converging of plates in the region and urged residents to stay indoors in the case of anymore earthquakes.
I feel that more can be done to educate the villagers about the safety precautions to be taken during an earthquake (or earthquakes) like this one. By doing so, I am sure that casualties would be kept to a minimum as the villagers would be prepared to face such an incident whenever it may occur, provided that the earthquake is of a moderate magnitude.
I feel that more can be done to educate the villagers about the safety precautions to be taken during an earthquake (or earthquakes) like this one. By doing so, I am sure that casualties would be kept to a minimum as the villagers would be prepared to face such an incident whenever it may occur, provided that the earthquake is of a moderate magnitude.
Blibliography
- unknown author, http://earth.esa.int/ew/planning/pl_Malawi_Tanzania_quake-dec09.htm, 24Feb2010
- http://www.earthweek.com/2009/ew091211/ew091211f.gif, 25Feb2010
- J. Louie (with contributions of J. Anderson), http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics.html, 25Feb2010
- unknown author, http://earth.esa.int/ew/planning/pl_Malawi_Tanzania_quake-dec09.htm, 24Feb2010
- http://www.earthweek.com/2009/ew091211/ew091211f.gif, 25Feb2010
- J. Louie (with contributions of J. Anderson), http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics.html, 25Feb2010
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