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Zambian seismologist says Lake Tanganyika quake weaker than reported

Pays
RD Congo
+ 1
Sources
Xinhua
Date de publication

LUSAKA, 6 Dec., 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The powerful earthquake that rocked several countries around Lake Tanganyika in central Africa Monday had a magnitude of 5.4 instead of 6.8 observed by the US Geological Survey, the Zambian Geological Survey Department said Tuesday.

A statement by the department said the quake was recorded by the Lusaka Seismic Station at 12:22 GMT or 2:22 p.m. local time and is located at Latitude 6 degrees South and Longitude 29.6 degrees East around Kalemie, on the west bank of Lake Tanganyika, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Daniel Lombe, head of geophysics in the department, said the difference is due to the caliber of equipment used.

He explained that a magnitude of 5.4 is still a strong earthquake.

The earthquake was felt in DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, which share the lake, located in the eastern and southern Africa rift system.

At least one person was reported killed near Kalemie, while panic people rushed out of houses in Nairobi, capital of Kenya.

In Zambia, workers also ran out of offices in Ndola, capital of Copperbelt province.

In Kitwe, a mining town also in the Copperbelt, a manager at the Chambeshi copper mine said his cup was shaking on the table when the quake stroke, but most people did not even notice it. He added that operation is normal at the mine.

Lombe said the department has not received any reports of casualties or damages, adding that they have no capacity to go to the site.

He explained that the scarce of reports is due to the fact that the epicenter is located at a very remote area, where communications and other infrastructure is poor.