News24 | 'It felt like an explosion' - Centurion resident after magnitude 2.0 earthquake near Middelburg

Parts of Pretoria and Centurion experienced a magnitude 2.0 earthquake on Friday. (Phill Makagoe/AFP)

An earthquake, with a magnitude of around 2.0, was recorded in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in Mpumalanga on Friday afternoon, according to the Council for Geoscience (CGS).

The magnitude of the quake, which occurred around 12:43, was registered by the South African Seismograph Network.

"The epicentre was located north-east of Middelburg," the CGS said.

However, while the quake was recorded in Mpumalanga, on the website, volcanodiscovery.com, most reports of seismic-like activity logged around that time came from Pretoria and Centurion.

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One Centurion resident reported moderate shaking, saying "it felt more like an explosion... there were two loud sounds, like something exploded, and thereafter fell down".

Another Centurion resident said: "Sitting at my office desk and felt a very short shake of the room, similar to an underground or surface blasting event in a mine. The shake intensity was low. As I mentioned, it felt like a UG [underground] blast."

Residents in Pretoria reported similar tremors, with one saying: "It sounded like a big explosion and my windows vibrated. Could possibly be an earthquake."

Residents in Midrand, Midstream and Tembisa reported a very weak shaking.

CGS spokesperson Mahlatse Mononela encouraged the public to share their experiences and observations via an online questionnaire.