Earthquake hits Johannesburg, South Africa

An earthquake has hit Johannesburg, South Africa. The magnitude 5.3 quake which centered in Orkney, 170 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg, occurred this morning. Medical staff says one person has been confirmed dead while three are severely injured.

The man died when a wall of a disused mining building fell on him, said a spokesman for emergency responders working in the Orkney area, a center of gold-mining operations. Mine managers ordered the evacuation of workers from shafts and there were no immediate reports of casualties underground, Vermaak said.

Hospital staff  were on standby, awaiting the outcome of safety checks on miners who were underground at the time of the earthquake, Sefali said.

Lindy Sirayi, a guesthouse owner in Orkney, said the tremor broke glass lampshades and cracked a wall, and that dogs started barking during the quake, which lasted about a minute. Aftershocks were felt, but the electricity in the guesthouse stayed on, Sirayi said.

The quake was also felt in Pretoria, the South African capital, and Hartbeespoort, a nearby resort town.