MEK’ELE, ETHIOPIA— A significant earthquake, registering an initial magnitude of 5.3, struck Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region early Saturday evening, sending widespread tremors across the area and raising immediate concerns over potential damage near the epicenter.
The seismic event occurred at 7:02 pm local time on Saturday, October 11th, 2025. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the quake was centered approximately 44 kilometers northeast of Mek’ele, the region’s capital. Crucially, the tremor originated at a very shallow depth of 10 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface, a factor that typically intensifies ground shaking.
Magnitude Confirmed by Multiple Agencies
Initial reports of the magnitude were quickly corroborated by multiple international monitoring groups. While the EMSC and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) both reported a magnitude of 5.3, the citizen-seismograph network RaspberryShake issued a slightly higher reading of M5.4. Seismologists noted that the exact magnitude and depth remain preliminary and may be officially revised as data is further analyzed.
Based on preliminary seismic data, the earthquake should have been widely felt by almost everyone in the area of the epicenter and is believed to have the potential to cause light to moderate damage to structures.
The community closest to the seismic focus, Shaguby (8 km away), likely endured moderate shaking. Larger towns also felt the impact:
- Light shaking was reported in major population centers including Wik’ro (25 km away), Dolo (30 km), and Mek’ele (457,900 residents, 44 km away).
- Weak shaking extended out to towns 60 to 90 kilometers away, including Idaga Hamus and Adigrat.
Local authorities are expected to begin comprehensive assessments of infrastructure and communities nearest to the epicenter in the coming hours to determine the full extent of the damage.
