Chipinge prone to earthquakes:
CHIPINGE and surrounding areas are prone to earthquakes because of their proximity to the Eastern African Rift Valley, hence the need to equip the communities with the necessary safety precaution measures, an expert has said.
The district recently experienced earth tremors on two different occasions in less than two months.
Last week on Saturday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 was recorded.
Another one had hit parts of Chipinge and Chimanimani on March 24 this year.
The East African Rift System is an active continental rift zone. The rift, a narrow zone, is a developing divergent tectonic plate boundary where the African Plate is in the process of splitting into two tectonic plates.
This process is accompanied by surface manifestations along the rift valley in the form of the earth tremors.
Meteorological Service Department Seismologist, Mr Kwangwari Marimira said the Chipinge and Chimanimani communities need more education on what to do before, during and after an earthquake so that lives can be preserved.
Mr Marimira said the two districts are likely to continue experiencing earthquakes due to their proximity to the Eastern African Rift Valley.
“Although we cannot predict earthquakes, it should be noted that Chipinge and surrounding communities are earthquake prone regions.
“A number of earthquakes have occurred in the region and mostly the epicentres are in Mozambique. In 2006, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 was recorded in Machaze in Mozambique. That one was widely felt across Southern Africa.
“We have recorded a number of earthquakes in the recent past. Some, like the one recorded at Beacon Hill in December 2018, damaged infrastructure in Chipinge and surrounding areas.
“We will continue experiencing earthquakes in the region because of the East African Rift System. Unfortunately we cannot predict their occurrence, hence the need for more awareness campaigns in these areas,” he said.
He also called on villagers to adhere to building codes and other by-laws to ensure that their infrastructure is strong enough to withstand the earth tremors.