BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – There are no damages reported to Government concerning the said earthquake that is now trending on social media platform.
A statement issued today (Friday, November 22, 2024) by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy states that tremors were indeed felt in certain parts of Eswatini, but no damages were reported to have been caused by such occurrences.
“Earlier today, an earthquake measuring 3.05 in magnitude occurred in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa, halfway between Paulpietersburg and Mahamba. The tremors from this earthquake were felt in certain parts of Eswatini,” said part of the statement.
The Ministry further pleaded with the nation to remain calm under these circumstances, as no damage had been reported by the earthquake. “While no major damage has been reported, the public is urged to not panic and remain calm,” said the Ministry. According to the Ministry, the earthquake was as follows:
* Time: 22 November 2024 08:56:36
* Location: Latitude: -27.297, Longitude: 30.939
* Magnitude: 3.05
By midday today, the news of the earthquake started spreading on social media platforms, particularly Facebook. Many people said the earthquake happened in Nhlangano and other places around the Shiselweni Region. Some mentioned that it happened around Nkhungwini, an area which is also in the Shiselweno Region.
Many of those who commented on social media seemed not to believe that the earthquake or tremor happened, as they kept asking if the tremor was real. Some stated that they thought the sounds were that of big trucks that were passing by. Some went as far as claiming that there were damages witnessed.
Someone who claimed to be in Ngwane Park in Manzini said she heard the tremor. However, others questioned those who claimed to have experienced the natural occurrence. One Facebooker claimed that such a thing had not happened at Msunduza (Skom) in Mbabane. He was of the view that if such a thing had happened, as they claimed, he and others should have experienced in Mbabane, where Msunduza was located.
