Quake: No damage in Pretoria

2005-03-09 16:43

Pretoria - Contrary to reports in some media earlier on Wednesday, no buildings in central Pretoria were affected by an earthquake centred in Klerksdorp, Tshwane emergency services said.

"There has been no damage or effect on buildings in Pretoria by the reported earthquake," said emergency services spokesperson Johan Pieterse.

Pieterse said, however, the Wheat Board, which had offices in the De Bruyn Park Building in the city centre, decided to evacuate their premises of their own accord.

"It appears they evacuated their premises as a safety precaution and later informed the emergency services of this."

Emergency services said no other buildings were evacuated and no tremors were felt in the city, although calls had been coming in from concerned and curious residents.

All the employees of the Wheat Board had returned to their offices.

The quake's epicentre was believed to be around Klerksdorp, said Ian Saunders, project leader of the SA National Seismograph Network at the Council for Geoscience in Pretoria.

It was not yet known whether the Klerksdorp quake was related to mining or due to natural causes.

The tremor was felt as far as Johannesburg.

- SAPA