A 5.7 earthquake shook the north-western part of Tanzania on Saturday killing at least 16 people and injuring over 250, while the tremors were experienced throughout the region of the Great Lakes, as per the local authorities.
As rescue workers struggled to detect survivors from the quake, Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister of Tanzania went to the Bukoba, the worst-hit city of the country and told mourners that the earthquake is indeed a tragic event. He added that the government would support the victims and their families who were impacted by the earthquake.
John Magufuli, the president of Tanzania said that he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the unfortunate incident.
Dedodatus Kinawilo, the District Commissioner of Bukoba said on Sunday that the current situation was fully under control and it was quite calm. He said that a few people had been discharged from the hospital and that probably there would not be any more injuries.
Inhabitants of Bukoba said that the earthquake had causes some houses to cave in. Augustine Ollomi, the police chief in charge of Kagera province said that rescue operations were being conducted at present in the Bukoba district.
The tremors of the earthquake were felt in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda, said the US Geological Survey. The Geological Survey also said that the epicenter of the earthquake was about 23 kilometers east from the north-western part of Nsunga town on Tanzania that is based in Bukoba district.
A group of 15 boys who were studying at a secondary boarding school located in Bukoba are among the 16 dead, as declared by Salum Kiuu, governor of Kagera province.
Salum Kiuu said that the earthquake has destroyed 800 buildings that include 44 public buildings.
Widespread damage has been reported in Bukoba district since 270 houses have been destroyed severely and electricity has been disrupted according to the Red Cross.
The main hospital has been teeming with too many injured people and consequently is suffering from limited supply of medicine.
Andreas Sandin, operations coordinator of Red Cross in East Africa said that telecommunications also have been disrupted. He added that Red Cross is making attempts to detect the damage to hospitals as well as other infrastructure.
However, Dar es Salaam faced no damage. It is located at a distance of nearly 1,400 kilometres from the south-eastern part of Bukoba.
Meanwhile, another earthquake had struck Macedonia with a magnitude of 4.9 and it had its epicenter about four kilometers from the north-east of Skopje on Sunday. No injuries of extensive damage has been reported though.
