Residents of Gbawe, Anyaa, Weija and adjoining suburbs in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region experienced slight movements in the ground consistent with an earth tremor yesterday morning.
Buildings and other structures shook slightly but there was no visible damage although residents panicked.
Gbawe and Weija fall within the seismic zone having witnessed such movements several times in the past.
In March this year, the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) warned of an imminent earthquake in the country following the tremors that have been occurring in recent times.
According to the GGSA, signs picked up after earth tremors had hit parts of Accra on March 24, 2018, showed that the fault lines were active, “which means that an earthquake can occur at anytime”.
A senior seismologist at the GGSA, Mr. Nicholas Opoku, confirmed that there was seismological disturbance in the Weija area in the south-western part of Accra in March.
Mr. Opoku said the time transmission reading on the seismometer at the authority’s remote station near the Weija Dam indicated that three tremors occurred on the same day, with the first two happening at 3:09 a.m. and 3:41 a.m., while the third one took place at 11:31 a.m.
“It is clear — the evidence is that an earthquake occurred,” he stated.
He, however, said readings had to be done at two other stations at Akuse and Akosombo to ascertain the magnitude of the tremor because there was currently a challenge with the transmission of signals.
Accra experienced its worst earthquake in the late 1930s occasioning some structural damage in some buildings as far as the Accra Central Police Station and the Ministries area.
By A.R. Gomda, DGN
