An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 occurred in the evening on Monday, March 27th, 2023, at 8:20 pm local time near Ntungamo, Kanungu District, Western Region, Uganda, as reported by the United States Geological Survey.
According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a shallow depth of 16.1 km. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.
The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), which listed it as a magnitude 4.9 earthquake as well. Other agencies reporting the same quake include the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) at magnitude 4.8, and the citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake at magnitude 4.9.
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.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Ntungamo (pop. 16,900) located 39 km from the epicenter, Kanungu (pop. 14,600) 57 km away, Ruhengeri (pop. 86,700) 92 km away, Kabale (pop. 43,500) 93 km away, Butembo (pop. 154,600) 97 km away, and Goma (pop. 144,100) 106 km away in DR Congo.
VolcanoDiscovery 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. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.
