A 5.0 magnitude earthquake was felt across the Ethiopian Rift Valley, west of Lake Awash, mount Fentale area on Sunday evening, the Seismology and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Unit of the Addis Ababa University has announced.
The latest earthquake has been ranked among the most significant seismic activities recorded in the past weeks, the university said in a statement on Monday.
The earthquake was one of seven tremors registered in the same area, signaling an active seismic period. The epicenter was located approximately 14 kilometers from Awash town.
The university said that seismic activity in the Awash Fentale region has been recurrent over the past week. He stated that the tremor recorded Sunday at a magnitude of 5.0 was also felt in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
.The statement further explained that tectonic activity in the area, particularly movements in basaltic rock formations, continues to drive these recurring earthquakes. He noted that these geological processes are likely to sustain the frequency of seismic events in the region.
Last week, two earthquakes near Fentale Mountain in the Metehara area on 23 December, 2024, were reported. The first tremor occurred at approximately 3:00 p.m., followed by a second, stronger earthquake at 10:41 p.m., which registered a magnitude of 4.9 on the Richter scale.
MG/as/APA