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South Africa · Free State

M2.3 Earthquake near Metsimaholo Local Municipality, Free State (South Africa)

UTC time: 2026-09-28 12:32:30 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M2.3
Depth
10.0 km
Source
EMSC

Free State · Metsimaholo Local Municipality

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About this earthquake

On September 28, 2026 at 12:32 UTC, a magnitude M2.3 earthquake occurred near Metsimaholo Local Municipality, Free State (South Africa). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — close to the regional average (10 km)
Regional average: 10 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

South Africa

Context for this earthquake

04 Oct 2025 – 04 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 99 Catalogue entries

Of 98 other entries for this area and period, 55 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

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Stats (last 24h)

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