Earthquake hits Johannesburg, South Africa, 1 killed

A 5.3 earthquake this morning August 5th shook buildings in Johannesburg and surrounding areas.. killing one person and injuring at least 3 people. The tremor which lasted just one minute reportedly broke glasses, cracked walls and aftershocks were felt by many.

According to Werner Vermaak, a spokesman for emergency responders, at least one person was killed and three people injured. The man was reportedly killed when a wall of a disused mining building fell on him in the Orkney area of Johannesburg, which is where the quake was centred.

The other three people were hurt when the quake damaged a training center at a mine, said Phoka Sefali, a receptionist at a hospital in Orkney. "The roof fell on them, but they haven't got serious injuries," he told Associated Press.

The quake was also felt in Pretoria and Hartbeespoort, a nearby resort town.