On 10th September 2016 at 15:27 local time an earthquake with the magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale and at a depth of 40km hit north-west Tanzania. The epicentre was located in close proximity to the border town of Nsunga on the Lake Victoria and nearby Bukoba municipality, a major town and the regional centre for the Kagera region. On 11th September at 22:15 a stronger aftershock was felt in Bukoba.
The most recent figure shows that 17 persons are reported dead and 170 hospitalized. While assessments are still on-going, preliminary evaluations record that 840 buildings have been destroyed including three schools and dormitories. Over 1,264 houses are reported to be unsafe and hundreds of people are currently displaced. Marine police stations that were to be used as a shelter had been destroyed by the aftershock on 11th September. The Acting Regional Commissioner of Kagera region estimates the need for temporary shelters for over 3,000 people as well as for medical supplies, non-food items, food assistance and psychosocial support.
