LIMPOPO – Residents in Tzaneen and surrounding areas were left rattled after the ground shook for several seconds on Saturday evening. The tremor which was reported on July 3 at 21:21 was felt mostly in Tzaneen and even as far a field as Haenertsburg and Magoebaskloof.
Those who experienced the movement described the tremor as a wave of vibrating thunder, while others said they heard a loud explosion and felt light to moderate shaking.
Review contacted the Council for Geoscience who provided clarity on the reported seismic movement that was felt in Tzaneen this past weekend.
“The Council for Geoscience can confirm that an earth tremor was felt at 21:21 on Saturday, July 3, 2021. The earthquake registered a preliminary 2.1 on the local magnitude scale as recorded by the South African Seismograph Network. The epicentre was located in the Tzaneen area.”
Earlier reports suggested the epicentre was approximately 15km from Tzaneen near between Mieliekloof and Deer Park and was 10km wide. The termor was felt mostly in Tzaneen and lasted between 5-15 seconds.
Over 100 residents shared their experiences on the Volcano Discovery.
Tzaneen / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Shaking and heard the ground and building shaking clearly.
Letaba estates / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Could hear the sound rolling towards us from the north/north west. It just passed through, windows rattled a little and the could hearit fading towards the south east again. Could hear the rumble for quite a while.
Tzaneen / Moderate shaking / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Loud bang then vibrating and loud shaking of tremor felt which woke me up.
Tzaneen / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Like 100 men jumped on my house roof at once. Bed was shaking.
Tzaneen / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Rattling of glassware.
Tzaneen / Weak shaking / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : First there was a boom sound and then the vibration started with another boom following.
Agatha Tzaneen / Light shaking / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s : I first heard it it sounded like thunder and I felt it vibrations and shaking.
Nkowankowa / Light shaking / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I heard and felt it coming and the vibration were getting stronger as it approached my house then it hit my house and continued away. I could still hear and feel the vibrations weakness as they continued. Like waves.
Shari tzaneen / Weak shaking / 2-5 s : Felt like a dynamite blast.
Aborpark / Moderate shaking / 10-15 s : Heaviness. Lights were shaking. Ground was shaking.
tzaneen / Moderate shaking / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : my wife and I was on our couch arguing about religion when a sudden bag like impact affected us and we thought it was God to make sure we stop arguing about the religion, we was scares but the Jesus he make the bang go away. also our windows are cracked on the eastern side of our house and also the dog he was very very scared even the cat.
Haenersburg / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Everything rattled and it sounded like a big truck passing by.
Nkowankowa / Weak shaking / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I felt a thunder like continuous sound. I thought it was my neighbor’s gate being closed, but I realised it was not because my dog was intensely and continuously barking. I was expecting to hear news like this the following morning.
AquaPark Tzaneen / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : There was quite a big bang (hard explosion) and then the rattling / shaking you could feel come and go.
Arbor Park, Tzaneen / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt shaking, gave me a scare, like a heavy truck was passing near the house. It woke my husband who had fallen asleep
Outside Tzaneen, at home + n bed..! / Light shaking / 2-5 s : I first heard a low sounding rumble, just as if a cargo-plane neared my home and as it went over my roof, the whole house started trembling for about 4 seconds (in which time the house “made” / left many strange noises/sounds) e.g. the most clear sound was coming from the tile roof and the trusses…I then decided that it must have been a light quake..! I recalled the quake in the Western Cape during 1969 in the Cederberg Mountains, where we lived then..!
Magoebaskloof / Light shaking / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Could hear it coming and then bed was vibrating before hearing it moving off into the distance.
