Strong Earthquake Shakes E. Africa(6.8), page 1

A strong earth quake of magnitude 6.8 hit the Lake Tanganyika region in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of yet no damages or loss of life has been reported. Apparently, the area is very poor and thus their could not have been much infrastructural damage to the area.

today. reuters.co.uk
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a 6.8 magnitude quake struck near the town of Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of Congo at 12:19 British Time, some 975 km (600 miles) southwest of Nairobi. Besides Kenya and Congo, tremors were reported in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.

"A quake of this kind could easily produce significant damage, but I wonder what kind of infrastructure they have there in the region. There may not have been much to destroy," said Dr Andrzej Kijko, head of seismology unit at South Africa's Council for Geoscience.

The East African Rift System is a 50-60 km (31-37 miles) wide zone of active volcanics and faulting that extends north-south in eastern Africa for more than 3000 km (1864 miles) from Ethiopia in the north to Zambezi in the south, the USGS said on its Web site. It is a rare example of an active continental rift zone, where a continental plate is attempting to split into two plates which are moving away from one another.

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Thankfully no damage has occurred. Had it been closer to a heavily populated area we might have been facing a massive tragedy. How come all these things happen around Christmas ? Last year it was the Tsunami and God knows what this year!!
Sorry, just in that children were buried alive when roofs collapsed on them

Children Buried in Earthquake
Mail & Guardian News

[edit on 5-12-2005 by IAF101]

[edit on 8-12-2005 by asala]