---
title: "5.7-magnitude quake strikes Lake Tanganyika region: USGS"
description: "A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit near Africa's Lake Tanganyika early Friday, the US Geological Survey said, with the epicentre in northen Zambia."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "AFP"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/afp/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-02-24-5-7-magnitude-quake-strikes-lake-tanganyika-region-usgs/"
published: "2017-02-24T04:39:15"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 89
---

# 5.7-magnitude quake strikes Lake Tanganyika region: USGS

> A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit near Africa's Lake Tanganyika early Friday, the US Geological Survey said, with the epicentre in northen Zambia.

By AFP · Published 24 February 2017, 06:39 SAST

## Content

The quake, which was 10 kilometres (six miles) deep, struck at 00:32 GMT about 45 kilometres from the Zambian town of Kaputa, which lies near the borders of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In December 2005, a powerful earthquake struck the Lake Tanganyika region of East Africa.

That 6.8-magnitude quake shook buildings in cities throughout the east and central African region.

Much of the eastern African region lies in the Great Rift Valley, a massive geographical feature created by shifting of tectonic plates and volcanic activity. DM