World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1997
Historic Earthquake
1997 South Africa Earthquake
21 July 1997 · Avgold'S Hartebeestfontein Mine · South Africa
On 21 July 1997 at 08:45 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck South Africa (Avgold'S Hartebeestfontein Mine), at a depth of 5 km. It occurred on the Somali Plate, 10 km from its boundary with the African Plate (continental collision). It killed at least 15 people and injured 46.
- Date
- 21 July 1997
- Time
- 08:45 UTC
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Depth
- 5 km
- Deaths
- 15
- Injuries
- 46
- Plate
- Somali Plate
- Country
- South Africa
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 1990Charletonville · M 4.010 deaths
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth