M5.3 earthquake near Āwash, Āfar

What happened

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 12 km WNW of Āwash, Ethiopia on 8 Jan 2025, 00:53 UTC at a depth of 10 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Āwash, about 12 km away in Āfar, Ethiopia.