Major Earthquake Reported in Sanaag, Somaliland

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 occurred early afternoon on Sunday, December 17th, 2023, at 2:49 pm local time near Erigavo, Sanaag, Somaliland, as reported by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

According to preliminary data, the quake was located at an intermediate depth of 79 km. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.

Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.

For More Info: Automatic GEOFON Global Seismic Monitor

Weak shaking might have been felt in Erigavo (pop. 33,900) located 48 km from the epicenter, and Las Qorey (pop. 6,900) 77 km away.

Volcano Discovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.