BUKOBA, Tanzania, Sept. 10 (UPI) — Officials said 11 people were killed and 192 injured after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck in northern Tanzania on Saturday.
The quake struck near the western shore of Lake Victoria outside in the city of Bukoba, population 70,000, where a majority of the casualties were reported. Photos posted on social media in Bukoba showed buildings collapsed.
Local police said hospitals have been overrun with injured people and rescue efforts are under way to help people trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed structures.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake could be felt as far away as western Kenya and was unusually strong for the region.
“This incident has caused a lot of damage,” Deodatus Kinawila, the district commissioner of Bukoba, told the BBC. “As we speak now, the number of injuries stands at 192 and 11 dead. Because we are still collecting the information it’s likely to go up. Even the number of injuries is likely to go up.”
The quake occurred at a depth of 6 miles and was recorded at 3:27 p.m., local time.
