WELKOM – A minor earth termor measuring 3,3 on the Richter scale rattled through Welkom on Friday 7 August.

The South African National Seismograph Network (SANSN) confirmed the earthquake, that had its epicentre southwest of Odendaalsrus. No injuries or damage to property was reported.

Mahlatse Mononela, communications manager at the Council for Geoscience (CGS) in South Africa, encouraged members of the public to record their experiences using available online questionnaires available on the organisation’s website.

Noteworthy earthquakes in the Goldfields area include the one on 8 December 1976, when the Tempest Court in Welkom collapsed after an event measuring 5,2 on the Richter Scale. No one was injured or killed when the entire block of flats came down.

In January 1989 two people died and four were injured at the President Brand Gold Mine in Welkom after an earthquake measuring 4,5 on the Richter scale. Major structural damage all over the region was reported, and Vista headlines read: “Skudding – The day time stood still.” Many people who were in the Liberty Centre at the time of the quake thought a bomb had exploded, and shops were evacuated.

On 27 July 1994, a quake measuring 4,3 again caused time to stand still when the hefty tremor not only did extensive damage to the central business district (CBD) and surrounds, but brought the timepiece in the Clock Tower in the centre of Welkom to a standstill.

From October to December 1994, nine quakes measuring from 2,5 to 4,5 were recorded, and in 1995 from April to December, nine quakes measuring from 2,0 to 4,2 shook Welkom. In December 1996 two quakes measuring 3,8 and 4,3 were recorded, and in July 1997 two 4,2 quakes were recorded.

On Friday, 23 April 1999, the second quake in 23 years measuring 4,8 struck Welkom. The tremors of this quake were felt as far as Los Angeles in America, and caused extensive damage to buildings in Welkom. In 2009, Vista reported that the Council for Geoscience had measured no less than 161 tremors since January of that year. The smallest was 0,6 (17 February) and the largest 3,8 Local Richter (28 August).

In March 2009 a quake measuring 3,5 was recorded, and then on Tuesday, 27 October 2009, another quake measuring 3,5 local Richter shook Welkomites.

Of the 161 tremors in 2009, there were 112 quakes measuring from 1,0 to 2,0 local Richter, 39 measuring from 2,0 to 3,0 and five measuring more than 3,0, with the largest at 3,8 local Richter.

On Tuesday, 7 August 2014, at exactly 12:22, 90 seconds felt like a lifetime when the ripple effects of an earthquake measuring 5,5 on the Richter Scale rattled through the Goldfields. The epicentre of the quake was 6 km east of Orkney in the North-West and occurred 10 km underground. In the Goldfields only isolated incidents of damage were reported and there were no injuries. Residents of every town in this area felt the quake. It was widespread and was even felt as far north as Botswana. Down south residents of Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and Kuruman reported having felt the quake.

On Tuesday, 28 November 2017, at about 07:20, an earthquake measuring 3,1 on the Richter Scale rattled through Welkom, scaring residents in St Helena, Flamingo Park, Jim Fouché Park and Seemeeu Park. Residents from as far as Odendaalsrus and Virginia also experienced the tremor. People felt the earth shake for about six seconds and windows and furniture rattled.

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