Malawi: Magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurs in Lake Malawi Nov. 24

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in Lake Malawi at around 10:58 Nov. 24. The epicenter was about 2 km (1 mile) northwest of Mbamba Bay, Tanzania. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout much of Northern and central Malawi, southwestern Tanzania, northwestern Mozambique, and far eastern Zambia. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.