Earthquake Kills at Least 11, Injures 192 in Tanzania

Officials fear the actual death toll is much higher
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 10, 2016 3:49 PM CDT
Earthquake Kills at Least 11, Injures 192 in Tanzania
Damage from a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Tanzania Saturday and killed at least 11 people.   (Twitter)

Eleven people have been confirmed killed in a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Tanzania Saturday afternoon, but the actual death toll is feared to be much higher, the BBC reports. According to UPI, the earthquake—which the US Geological Survey says was "unusually strong" for the area—struck shortly before 3:30pm local time near Lake Victoria on the border with Rwanda and Uganda. The shallow quake originated only 6 miles below the surface, the AP reports. Shallow quakes typically cause more damage.

The city of Bukoba, with a population of 70,000, appears to have been the hardest hit. Photos of collapsed buildings in the city were posted to social media, and the quake's 11 confirmed casualties were people in brick structures in Bukoba when the quake struck. Authorities say 192 people have been confirmed injured in addition to the deaths, but one one authority tells the BBC both numbers are "likely to go up." Local hospitals are already full and having difficulty dealing with the waves of injured. (More Tanzania stories.)

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