Earthquake in Ethiopia

Earthquake in Ethiopia On October 11, 2025, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck northern Ethiopia, approximately 45 km east-northeast of Mek'ele in the Tigray region. The quake occurred at 4:18 p.m. UTC (7:18 p.m. local time) at a shallow depth of 10 km. The quake was preceded by a magnitude 5.3 foreshock in the same area, approximately 58 km northeast of Mek'ele, about 16 minutes earlier. A smaller magnitude 4.5 aftershock followed later that evening at around 11:57 p.m. UTC, approximately 17 km northeast of Shaguby in the Tigray province, also at a depth of 10 km. There are no immediate reports of significant damage or casualties, but ongoing seismic activity in the region requires monitoring, especially given its proximity to populated areas such as Mek'ele (population approximately 215,000). Ethiopia experienced increased seismic activity in 2024–2025. Since the end of September 2024, over 330 earthquakes have been recorded, primarily in central regions such as Awash Fentale in Oromia and Afar. The October 11 event is part of this trend: 229 magnitude 4+ earthquakes have been reported in Ethiopia so far in 2025. In early January 2025, several earthquakes occurred in the Afar and Oromia districts, requiring humanitarian action.