Earth Tremor Rocks South Africa

Social media is ablaze with reports.

An earthquake shook buildings in Johannesburg and surrounding areas in South Africa's most populous province on Tuesday. At least one person was killed and three were injured, medical staff said. The magnitude-5.3 quake was centered in Orkney, 170 kilometers (105 miles) southwest of Johannesburg, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

An earth tremor that lasted for about a minute was felt in various parts of the country, including the City Press offices in Auckland Park, at about noon.

Sapa’s building in Greenside, Johannesburg, shook and pictures and computers rattled during the extended tremor.

Sapa’s reporter in Durban said the tremor was felt there too and people went out to the streets. Durban Bay House, one of the tallest buildings in the city, was evacuated.

Such tremors have in the past occurred in South Africa in the past.

On December 3, 2013, a magnitude four earth tremor struck near Bela-Bela in Limpopo. Earlier on November 18, an earth tremor of a similar magnitude shook Johannesburg, with its epicentre near the University of Johannesburg in Auckland Park. Both were in Guateng.