M5.4 earthquake near Āwash, Āfar

What happened

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 44 km NNW of Āwash, Ethiopia on 16 Mar 2025, 18:53 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 44 km away in Āfar, Ethiopia.