5.0 magnitude earthquake hits South Africa’s largest province

A magnitude 5 earthquake on Sunday struck near Johannesburg, shaking buildings across South Africa’s most populous province, the US Geological Survey said.

The USGS said the quake struck at 2:38 a.m. (00:38 GMT) at a depth of about 10 kilometers (six miles) below ground.

Buildings shook throughout Gauteng province, home to Johannesburg, the country’s largest city and commercial hub.
Residents across the province felt the shaking and some pictures posted on social media showed minor structural damage to the walls.

In August 2014, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit a gold mining town near Johannesburg.

The last major earthquake to hit South Africa was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the Western Cape province in 1969.