By Voice of America (Africa) | Created at 2025-01-04 18:41:36 | Updated at 2025-01-06 20:48:30
2 days ago
Ethiopia’s government said it is evacuating approximately 80,000 people following a series of small-scale earthquakes in the Afar, Oromia and Amhara regions.
At least 10 earthquakes were reported in Ethiopia since Friday, and there are signs of possible volcanic activity.
The latest earthquakes shook the Awash Fentale district, which stretches between the Afar and Oromia regions, at 3:52 a.m. Saturday.
The United States Geological Survey recorded an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 5.8 about 56 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of Ambosa, in the Oromia region, in the early hours of Saturday.
Atalay Ayele, head of the Seismology Department and a professor of seismic science at Addis Ababa University, says the epicenter was in the middle of Dofen Mountain, Awash Fentale district, in the Afar region.
Just hours later a second tremor, measured at 4.7, was reported about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Awash in the Afar region.
“The events are increasing in size and frequency from time to time. In particular, this week, data shows that an earthquake measuring up to 5.8 on the Richter scale,” according to a statement issued by the federal government Saturday.
The earthquake was felt in the capital, Addis Ababa, and cities such as Adama and Metehara. Residents living in condos and high-rise buildings felt it, too, reports say.
As many as two dozen quakes and aftershocks were reported in Awash Fentale district since September, according to residents and officials.
In the Afar region, frequent quakes created a natural hot spring water crater that is reportedly widening.
No casualties were reported, but the quakes damaged dozens of homes in Afar.
Fears of volcanic eruptions
Friday’s tremor in Afar resulted in fears of volcanic eruptions after smoke came from vents in the Dofen volcano, signaling potential volcanic activity.
“The government is closely monitoring the events with experts in the field. In addition, it has identified the epicenter of the earthquake and deployed emergency workers from various fields in 12 kebeles [districts] to assess the extent of the damage,” the statement from Ethiopia’s government said.
“It is making great efforts to identify the most vulnerable among the 80,000 citizens living in those kebeles and to evacuate them from the area. It is also monitoring the possible impact of the earthquake on social service institutions, economic institutions, and infrastructure.”
The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission announced in a statement issued on Saturday that over 51,000 residents in the Afar and Oromia regions are at risk due to recurring earthquakes in the past two months. To mitigate the risk, more than 13,000 people have already been relocated to safer areas, the commission said.
In the Fentale district of the Oromia region, over 16,000 residents face similar risks, with more than 7,000 of them relocated to secure locations, the statement added.
Some residents in the affected towns said they left their homes after the quake.
Zumara Mamo is a resident of Abomsa, where the quake was felt. She says the earthquake happened while she was asleep.
“I was sleeping on the floor with my child. Suddenly I felt the Earth beneath me shaking. The shock displaced the glass on my door,” she told VOA’s Horn of Africa Service.
According to Zumara, the shock lasted nearly a minute and was greater than the previous shock reported in the area in October.
Fentale district in the Oromia region lies less than 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the epicenter of the Saturday morning earthquake near Abomsa town.
Abayneh Urgo, who lives in Fentale district, said a strong earthquake shock was felt in his town and now residents are sleeping outside.
Efrem Wakjira, who lives near German Square in Addis Ababa, said earthquakes have been frequent this week.
“The shock of the earthquake has been common during the past five days, but Saturday morning was quite strong. It happened at around 4 a.m. local time, and I was awakened from sleeping by the shock.”
The government said the earthquake has not yet had a significant impact on major towns and has urged citizens to “follow and strictly implement the precautionary messages issued by experts.”
Ethiopian cities are vulnerable to quakes
Ethiopian experts have warned that many buildings in the country, particularly in Addis Ababa, are highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
Esayas Gebreyohannes, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Addis Ababa University’s Institute of Technology, said Ethiopia introduced building code standards in 1983 that need updating every 10 to 20 years, with the next update scheduled this year.
“Despite these updates, significant gaps persist in adherence to the standards during building design and construction,” he said.
“Many buildings evaluated at Addis Ababa University reveal design faults due to noncompliance with the standards. Additionally, construction materials and workmanship often fall short of required quality levels. Most buildings in Addis Ababa exhibit these deficiencies, compromising their safety and quality,” Esayas said.
“The recent frequent earthquake[s] is a sign that we are living in an active volcanic area,” professor Ayele told VOA by phone.
“The state should be careful while building infrastructures at those places. The relief agencies should stand by, and the public must also get awareness regarding the shocks,” he said.
Government engineers say plans are underway to reinforce major public buildings to withstand high-magnitude earthquakes.
Engineer Mesfin Negewo, director general of the Ethiopian Construction Authority, acknowledged growing concerns over the increasing frequency of earthquakes.
“We have observed frequent seismic activity over the past two months, and we are actively assessing the situation,” he said by phone to VOA.
He said to address the emerging risks — the government has established task forces to study the situation and monitor incidents closely.
“These teams will present a comprehensive report to authorities,” he said.
VOA’s Kennedy Abate and Mesfin Aragie contributed to this report.
