An earth tremor hit Ekurhuleni this morning, rattling residents from Alberton to Fourways.
At 7.16am, a 3.1 magnitude tremor originating 10km south-east of Germiston could be felt across the city, sending some Joburg residents into a panic as they relayed their experiences on the social networks.
On Facebook, users complained that they had woken up to heavy shaking. “What a way to wake up,” said user Jean Canha.
“Oh boy what a tremor this morn!! Scary few seconds!! can’t begin to imagine an earthquake!” said Fatima Dias.
“What a way to start the day… oh yes, those mines are about to start caving in…” Grace Schoeman wrote.
Numerous Bedfordview residents also said they could feel the quake for about a minute, with a minor aftershock five minutes later. This follows several tremors that have rocked the country over the past few days.
The National Council for Geosciences told The Star this morning the cause of the quake earlier was currently not known, but recommended that residents not panic.
“Panic is never helpful, but people in Joburg should read up on how to be prepared for an earthquake,” said the council’s Ian Saunders.
Saunders was unwilling to speculate on the cause of the quake, but said the epicentre was very close to mining activity.
No major damage or injuries had been reported to the council by 9am this morning.
The tremor came after several other seismic events this weekend, with lesser tremors felt in Leeu-Gamka, 120km north of George in the Western Cape and a 3.7 magnitude quake in Augrabies, along the Orange River, on Saturday. - The Star