At least 2000 persons have been displaced after several Ethiopian communities experienced a series of earthquakes on Saturday, including a 5.8-magnitude tremor in the northern regions of the country.
According to AFP, the affected areas include the rural regions of Afar, Oromia, and Amhara, which have been experiencing heightened earth vibrations and seismic activity in recent months.
The Ethiopian Government Communication Service said efforts are underway to provide temporary shelter to the most vulnerable among the 80,000 residents impacted by the quakes.
“The occurrences of the earthquakes are increasing in terms of magnitude and recurrences,” the statement read.
According to the statement, experts have been deployed to assess the damage and monitor the situation.
The latest tremor of 4.7-magnitude struck near Metehara in the Oromia region just before noon local time, sparking concerns of a potential volcanic eruption at Mount Dofan in the Afar region.
Although the previously dormant volcano has stopped emitting smoke, residents have evacuated the area as a precaution.
Ethiopia’s location along the Great Rift Valley makes it prone to earthquakes.
Geologists have attribute the recent activity to the movement and expansion of tectonic plates beneath the region.
No casualties have been reported so far.
Earthquakes Displace 2,000 In Ethiopia is first published on The Whistler Newspaper