Residents in several parts of Rwanda reported their houses shaking on Thursday, November 5, after an earthquake struck near Ushirombo in neighbouring Tanzania, sending tremors across the region.
Five residents who spoke to Rwanda Dispatch confirmed feeling the tremors, describing moments when their houses and surroundings shook, leaving some wondering what was happening.
In Kayonza District, Eastern Province, Baraka Murenzi, a motorcycle taxi operator, said he first noticed the tremors while receiving payment from a passenger.
He said he felt his motorcycle shaking and was initially confused before realising that an earthquake was taking place.
In Rwamagana, Mukamurenzi Beatrice said she and other people at a local market felt the stalls shaking beneath them, although nothing was damaged.
“We felt movement, as if the ground beneath us was shifting. It was only later that we were told it was an earthquake,” she said.
Other residents in Kayonza, Nyagatare, Rwamagana, Ngoma and Kirehe also reported experiencing the shaking inside their homes.
Rwanda Seismic Monitor (RMB) said no damage had been reported following the earthquake. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) listed its magnitude at 5.1, with the epicentre near Ushirombo, Tanzania.
Tremors were also reported in Kigali and other parts of East Africa.
