Ethiopia evacuates 80,000 people after earthquakes and fears of a volcanic eruption

The Ethiopian government said it was evacuating nearly 80,000 people after a series of small earthquakes in the Afar, Oromia and Amhara regions.

At least 10 earthquakes have been reported in Ethiopia since Friday, and there are signs of possible volcanic activity.

The recent earthquakes shook the Awash Fental region, which extends between the Afar and Oromia regions, at 3:52 a.m. Saturday.

The US Geological Survey recorded a 5.8-magnitude earthquake about 56 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of Ambusa, in the Oromia region, in the early hours of Saturday.

Atalai Ayele, head of the Department of Seismology and professor of seismology at Addis Ababa University, said that the epicenter of the earthquake was in the middle of Mount Dauphin in the Awash Fental area of ​​the Afar region.

Just hours later, a second earthquake, measuring 4.7 magnitude, was reported about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Awash in the Afar region.

“Events increase in size and frequency from time to time. In particular, data this week show an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale,” according to a statement issued by the federal government on Saturday.

The earthquake was felt by residents of the capital, Addis Ababa, and cities such as Adama and Metehara. Reports say residents living in apartments and high-rise buildings felt it too.

As many as two dozen earthquakes and aftershocks have been reported in the Awash-Viental region since September, according to residents and officials.

In the Afar region, repeated earthquakes have created a natural hot spring water hole, which is said to be expanding.

No casualties were reported, but the earthquakes damaged dozens of homes in Afar.

Fears of volcanic eruptions

The earthquake in the Afar region, on Friday, raised fears of a volcanic eruption after smoke rose from the vents of the Dauphin volcano, indicating possible volcanic activity.

He added: “The government is closely monitoring the events with experts in this field. In addition, it has identified the epicenter of the earthquake and deployed emergency workers from various fields in 12 kebeles.” [districts] The statement issued by the Ethiopian government said: “To assess the extent of the damage.”

“It is making great efforts to identify the most vulnerable people among the 80,000 citizens living in those kebeles and evacuate them from the area. It is also monitoring the potential impact of the earthquake on social service institutions, economic institutions and infrastructure.

In this video, steam is released near volcanic activity in the village of Sagintu Kebele in the Afar region, Ethiopia, on January 1. 4, 2025.

The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Committee announced in a statement issued on Saturday that more than 51,000 residents in the Afar and Oromia regions are at risk due to repeated earthquakes in the past two months. The committee said that to mitigate risks, more than 13,000 people have already been transferred to safer areas.

The statement added that in the Fintal area of ​​the Oromia region, more than 16,000 residents face similar risks, with more than 7,000 of them having been moved to safe locations.

Some residents in the affected towns said they left their homes after the earthquake.

Zomara Mamo is a resident of Abumsa, where people felt the earthquake. She says the earthquake occurred while she was sleeping.

“I was sleeping on the floor with my baby. Suddenly I felt the ground beneath me shaking. The impact dislodged the glass on my door,” she told Voice of America's Horn of Africa Service.

According to Zomara, the shock lasted about a minute, and was larger than the previous shock reported in the area in October.

The Fintal district of the Oromia region is located less than 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred on Saturday morning near the town of Abumsa.

Abaine Orjo, who lives in the Vintal area, said his town felt a strong seismic shock, and residents are now sleeping outside.

Ephrem Wakjira, who lives near German Square in Addis Ababa, said earthquakes had been frequent this week.

He added: “Earthquake shock has been common over the past five days, but Saturday morning was very strong. It happened at around 4 a.m. local time, and I woke up from sleep because of the shock.”

The government said that the earthquake had not yet had a major impact on major cities, and urged citizens to “follow the precautionary messages issued by experts and implement them carefully.”

Ethiopian cities are vulnerable to earthquakes

Ethiopian experts have warned that many buildings in the country, especially in Addis Ababa, are highly vulnerable to earthquakes.

Ethiopia introduced building code standards in 1983 that need to be updated every 10 to 20 years, and the next update is scheduled for this year, said Isaias Gebreyohannis, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Addis Ababa University Institute of Technology.

“Despite these updates, there are still significant gaps in adherence to standards during building design and construction,” he said.

“Many of the buildings evaluated at Addis Ababa University reveal design faults due to non-compliance with standards. In addition, construction materials and workmanship are often below the required quality levels. Most buildings in Addis Ababa suffer from these deficiencies,” Isaias said. , which puts its safety and quality at risk.

“The recent recurring earthquake[s] “It's a sign that we live in an active volcanic area,” Professor Ayle told Voice of America by phone.

“The state should be careful while building infrastructure in those places. Relief agencies should stand still, and the public should also be sensitized about trauma,” he said.

Government engineers say plans are underway to reinforce major public buildings to withstand strong earthquakes.

Engineer Mesfin Nego, Director General of the Ethiopian Construction Authority, acknowledged growing concerns about the increasing frequency of earthquakes.

“We have observed frequent seismic activity over the past two months, and we are actively assessing the situation,” he told Voice of America by phone.

To address the emerging risks, he said, the government has established task forces to study the situation and closely monitor incidents.

He added that these teams will submit a comprehensive report to the authorities.

Voice of America's Kennedy Abate and Mesfin Araghi contributed to this report.

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