2014 Orkney earthquake

seismicity map for South Africa Historical seismicity While earthquakes are uncommon in South Africa in general, the earthquake occurred in a mining belt where earthquakes are relatively common. The earthquake occurred on 9 March 2005 at DRDGOLD's Hartebeesfontein mine in Stilfontein, killing two miners underground and resulting in the closure of the mine. An investigation by the mining regulator following the incident found that it was caused by mining and further seismic events would occur while mining continued. The report on the investigation recommended improvements in seismic monitoring among other things, and some of the recommendations had been implemented before the 2014 earthquake. The USGS recorded a 4.9 moment magnitude earthquake on 15 June 2014 in the same area, which earth science consultant Dr Chris Hartnady believes may have been a foreshock. According to Professor Andrzej Kijko from the University of Pretoria's Natural Hazard Centre, mining can activate natural faults. He believes that more than 90% of South Africa's earthquakes are caused by mining, especially around the areas of Klerksdorp, Carletonville and Welkom. Kijko and Hartnady believe that – unlike the 1969 Tulbagh earthquake – this event was a mining-related earthquake which is a relatively more common occurrence than a natural earthquake in South Africa. Council for Geoscience According to Michelle Grobbelaar from the CGS, "There's a rule of thumb that if you experience an earthquake with a certain magnitude in the past, you can always expect an earthquake of a similar magnitude in that same area." Grobbelaar and Denver Birch, also from the CGS, said that the cause of the earthquake was difficult to determine given that it occurred in a mining area and the lack of historical seismic data for the area. Ian Saunders from the CGS confirmed that a team would be sent to the area for further investigation, and Eldridge Kgaswane from the CGS said they should be able to determine the cause within a month. According to Kgaswane, "The fact that the deepest mine shafts are shallower than the epicentre doesn't mean mining can be ruled out as a cause. Blasting in the vicinity of a big fault could have activated seismic activity." On 18 August 2014 at a Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) seminar in Pretoria, the CGS confirmed that the earthquake was caused by mining-related activity, making it the biggest ever mining-related earthquake recorded in South Africa. ==Impact==

The earthquake occurred at 12:22:33 SAST on 5 August 2014, with the epicentre near Orkney, a gold mining town in the Klerksdorp district in the North West province of South Africa. The shock was assigned a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale by the Council for Geoscience (CGS) in South Africa, It was felt in neighbouring countries Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique. The two tallest buildings in Bloemfontein, the former CR Swart Building and the Lebohang building, as well as tall buildings and University of Pretoria halls in Pretoria and offices of the South African Revenue Service in Durban were evacuated. According to Michelle Grobbelaar, manager of the CGS's seismology unit, the earthquake was felt in Durban because "the beach sand tends to amplify the ground motion". Buildings in Maputo in Mozambique were also evacuated. The Meteorological Services of Zimbabwe confirmed that Zimbabwe was not affected by the earthquake. Casualties There was a single fatality, 31-year-old Mosotho man Leshomo Makhaola, who died when a wall of an old mining house collapsed on him in Kanana, North West. An ER24 spokesperson said that miners had reportedly been trapped in 11 mine shafts at a mine in Orkney; however, subsequent inspections revealed that the miners at that location were safe. All 34 miners were treated for minor injuries, including lacerations, contusions and a broken leg, AngloGold Ashanti management had proceeded with the evacuation after their temporarily interrupted power supply was mostly restored, mine management had contacted the mine crew underground by telephone and mine engineers had ensured that the shaft infrastructure was in working order. AngloGold Ashanti emergency medical staff had treated injured miners, The Khuma township near Stilfontein was one of the worst affected areas, with more than 600 homes damaged by the earthquake. An aftershock occurred in Khuma in the afternoon of 5 August while residents were assessing the damage to their homes. Three clinics in the North West province were damaged, leading to the closure of two of them. Two schools were damaged and some pupils were unable to attend classes as the classrooms were too badly damaged. In the days following the earthquake, most of South Africa's major banks and insurance companies had begun receiving insurance claims. A survey of 17 insurance companies done by finance website Justmoney showed that 5 out of the 17 companies surveyed would reject insurance claims related to the earthquake if it was proven to be mining-related. In a response to the Survey, ABSA, who was on the list of 5, affirmed that they have received approximately 1100 claims and were in the process of finalising them. ==Response==

The CGS warned that aftershocks were expected in the days following the earthquake and they could possibly continue for months. They recommended that buildings be evacuated in the event of an aftershock. Mahumapelo said that counselling, social relief and temporary accommodation were being provided, The North West provincial government started the North West Disaster Relief Fund to help residents affected by the earthquake. The Cabinet of South Africa sent its condolences to the family of the man who was killed by the earthquake. Several families affected by the earthquake moved to a community centre while waiting for their houses to be repaired after affected families were instructed to move to safer locations. ==See also==