13 Dead, 203 Wounded As Earthquake Rips Through Tanzania

No less than 13 persons have been killed with over 203 injured in northwest Tanzania after a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Saturday, local authorities told AFP.

“The toll has climbed from 11 people dead to 13 and from 192 injured to 203,” said Deodatus Kinawilo, District Commissioner for Bukoba, the town close to the epicentre of the quake.

“For now, the situation is calm and under control.”

“Some people have been discharged from hospital,” he told AFP. “We don’t expect many more injuries. We’ll see tomorrow.”

The quake struck close to the border with Uganda and Rwanda near Lake Victoria but the tremors were felt as far away as western Kenya.

Rescue workers told the BBC that local hospitals are full and cannot cope with the number of injured. Buildings have collapsed and people are still trapped underneath the rubble.

There was no damage reported in the economic capital, Dar es Salaam, which is located some 1,400 kilometres southeast of Bukoba.

“It’s safe in Dar but we are still worried about the safety of our family,” the AFP correspondent added. “The regional hospital is overwhelmed and can’t handle any more patients.”

“Emergency operations are poor and the government isn’t saying anything,” he said.