Earthquake Shakes West Nile Districts

Residents of Arua and West Nile were on Saturday night shaken after an earthquake swept through the region.

The earth quake which occurred at 21:15pm in Arua was first noticed after trees started shaking as if there was a stormy wind. It was followed by a crumbling noise underneath the earth and shaking of houses for over two minutes.

Prior to the quake, rainy clouds hovered over Arua with a light drizzle for over 30 minutes and also shortly after another light drizzle followed for about five minutes.

In the outskirts of Arua town, some residents ran out of their houses while those in social places like bars reportedly ran in disarray.

According to reports from West Nile districts of Koboko and Maracha, the earthquake had a greater effect which kept on subsiding as it moved south towards Arua district.

“The earthquake found us still outside and after realizing the danger of everything shaking we called the children who had already gone to sleep to immediately run out of the house,” a resident of Maracha identified as Alfred told news agency URN.

However, in Nebbi district, Ronald Oketch, a resident in Nebbi town told the same agency that the earthquake was felt but to a smaller magnitude.

No substantial damage has not yet been reported as a result of the earthquake in the region.West Nile region last experienced an earthquake about five years ago.

According to US Geologists, most earthquakes are caused by slow movements inside the earth that push against the earth’s brittle, relatively thin outer layer, causing the rocks to break suddenly.