Daily Times

DAR ES SALAAM: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck Tanzania – close to Lake Victoria and the border with Uganda – and killed at least 14 people and injured 200, local authorities said on Sunday.

Bukoba (the town close to the epicentre of the quake) District Commissioner Deodatus Kinawilo said that 14 people had been confirmed dead following the quake that struck early afternoon on Saturday. A group of 15 boys – who were secondary-school boarders in the worst-hit city of Bukoba, which is in Kagera province bordering Uganda and Rwanda – are believed to be among the casualties.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa is to join mourners at the Bukoba stadium later on Sunday. The city suffered widespread damage – with 270 houses demolished and electricity disrupted – the Red Cross said in a statement. Bukoba’s main hospital was stretched to nearly full capacity and had limited stocks of medicine, the Red Cross added.

“Telecommunications have been disrupted and we are trying to get a clear picture of the damage to hospitals and other essential infrastructure,” said Andreas Sandin – Red Cross’s operations coordinator in East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

Significant shaking was also felt in parts of nearby Uganda, western Kenya and Rwanda. “So far, no further damages have been reported in Kenya and minor damages reported in Uganda,” the Red Cross said.