Strong mag. 5.2 Earthquake – Harari, 21 km east of Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia, on Saturday, Jan 11, 2025, at 06:19 pm (Addis Ababa time)
Updated: Jan 12, 2025 03:09 GMT – 1 hour 2 minutes ago refresh
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Strong magnitude 5.2 earthquake at 10 km depth
11 Jan 15:21 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 1 minute.
11 Jan 15:28: Now using data updates from GFZ
… [show all] …
11 Jan 16:37: Epicenter location corrected by 13 km (8.2 mi) towards S.
Update Sat, 11 Jan 2025, 15:41
Felt earthquake: 5.0 quake 13 km north of Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia, 21 minutes ago – 65 shake reports so far

Numerous people reported to have felt the quake. Attached is an updated map showing the shaking felt (and reported) by this earthquake.
Update Sat, 11 Jan 2025, 15:30
Magnitude 5.0 earthquake strikes near Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 occurred early evening on Saturday, January 11th, 2025, at 6:19 pm local time near Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia, as reported by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).
According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
Our monitoring service identified a second report from the citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake which listed the quake at magnitude 5.0 as well.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.
In Metehara (pop. 23,400) located 25 km from the epicenter, and Āwash (pop. 36,500) 26 km away, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Gelemso (pop. 16,100) located 69 km from the epicenter, Debre Birhan (pop. 57,800) 78 km away, Bedēsa (pop. 17,500) 93 km away, Āsbe Teferī (pop. 30,800) 99 km away, and Nazrēt (pop. 214,000) 100 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.
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Earthquake details
Date & time | Jan 11, 2025 15:19:44 UTC – 13 hours ago |
Local time at epicenter | Saturday, Jan 11, 2025, at 06:19 pm (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) |
Status | Confirmed (manually revised) |
Magnitude | 5.2 |
Depth | 10 km |
Epicenter latitude / longitude | 8.9888°N / 40.3597°E![]() |
Seismic antipode | 8.9888°S / 139.64°W![]() |
Shaking intensity | V Moderate shaking near epicenter |
Felt | 97 reports |
Primary data source | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
Nearest volcano | Fantale (47 km / 29 mi) |
Weather at epicenter at time of quake | Broken Clouds ![]() |
Estimated seismic energy released | 4 x 1012 joules (1.11 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 951 tons of TNT) | about seismic energy |






500 km
500 mi
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Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in Ethiopia
Nearby places
The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Āwash, a town with 37,000 inhabitants in Ethiopia, in 21 km (13 mi) distance west of the epicenter. People likely experienced moderate shaking there. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 177 km (110 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as weak shaking.
The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.
Distance![]() | Place | Max. shaking intensity(*) | Region | Country |
---|---|---|---|---|
21 km (13 mi)W of epicenter | Āwash(pop: 36,500) | V: Moderate | Āfar | ![]() |
26 km (16 mi)SE of epicenter | Gelemso(pop: 16,100) | V: Moderate | Oromiya | ![]() |
48 km (30 mi)E of epicenter | Bedēsa(pop: 17,500) | IV: Light | Oromiya | ![]() |
50 km (31 mi)W of epicenter | Metehara(pop: 23,400) | IV: Light | Oromiya | ![]() |
57 km (35 mi)E of epicenter | Āsbe Teferī(pop: 30,800) | IV: Light | Oromiya | ![]() |
85 km (53 mi)E of epicenter | Hīrna(pop: 12,300) | IV: Light | Oromiya | ![]() |
116 km (72 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Sīna(pop: 9,410) | III: Weak | Amhara | ![]() |
118 km (73 mi)N of epicenter | Abomsa(pop: 15,300) | III: Weak | Amhara | ![]() |
119 km (74 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Birhan(pop: 57,800) | III: Weak | Amhara | ![]() |
122 km (76 mi)SW of epicenter | Sīrē(pop: 10,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
124 km (77 mi)E of epicenter | Deder(pop: 8,880) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
130 km (81 mi)SW of epicenter | Nazrēt(pop: 214,000) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
133 km (82 mi)SW of epicenter | Wenjī(pop: 17,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
135 km (84 mi)N of epicenter | Gewanē(pop: 11,300) | III: Weak | Āfar | ![]() |
143 km (89 mi)W of epicenter | Mojo(pop: 34,500) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
145 km (90 mi)SW of epicenter | Huruta(pop: 12,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
154 km (96 mi)W of epicenter | Bishoftu(pop: 197,600) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
177 km (110 mi)W of epicenter | Addis Ababa(pop: 2,757,700) | III: Weak | Addis Ababa | ![]() |
178 km (111 mi)NE of epicenter | Dire Dawa(pop: 252,300) | III: Weak | Dire Dawa | ![]() |
192 km (119 mi)W of epicenter | Sebeta(pop: 19,500) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
196 km (122 mi)E of epicenter | Kharar(pop: 90,200) | III: Weak | Harari | ![]() |
200 km (124 mi)N of epicenter | Kemisē(pop: 23,900) | III: Weak | Amhara | ![]() |
200 km (124 mi)NW of epicenter | Fichē(pop: 25,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
204 km (127 mi)W of epicenter | Holeta(pop: 23,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
209 km (130 mi)S of epicenter | Ghinnir(pop: 16,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
216 km (134 mi)SW of epicenter | Ziway(pop: 49,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
223 km (139 mi)S of epicenter | Goba(pop: 34,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
233 km (145 mi)W of epicenter | Gebre Guracha(pop: 16,600) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
240 km (149 mi)SW of epicenter | Butajīra(pop: 30,500) | III: Weak | SNNPR | ![]() |
242 km (151 mi)N of epicenter | Cambolcia(pop: 125,700) | III: Weak | Amhara | ![]() |
246 km (153 mi)SW of epicenter | Āsasa(pop: 23,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
248 km (154 mi)N of epicenter | Batī(pop: 19,300) | III: Weak | Amhara | ![]() |
251 km (156 mi)N of epicenter | Dessie(pop: 136,100) | III: Weak | Amhara | ![]() |
268 km (167 mi)W of epicenter | Walliso(pop: 38,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
271 km (168 mi)E of epicenter | Jijiga(pop: 56,800) | II: Very weak | Somali | ![]() |
276 km (171 mi)W of epicenter | Hāgere Hiywet(pop: 43,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
278 km (173 mi)SW of epicenter | Shashamane(pop: 85,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | ![]() |
287 km (178 mi)NW of epicenter | Bichena(pop: 16,400) | II: Very weak | Amhara | ![]() |
298 km (185 mi)SW of epicenter | Awasa(pop: 133,100) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | ![]() |
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.
User-reports for this quake (103)

The first report about ground shaking reached us after only 1 minute, before other agencies reported it. So far, we have received 103 reports for this quake from Ethiopia and
Italy. Out of these, 97 people indicated they felt it. The quake was reported to have been felt in up to approx. 170–250 km (106–155 mi) distance.
The majority of reports came from Addis Ababa (81 reports), the capital of Ethiopia with 2,800,000 inhabitants in 177 km (110 mi) distance west of the epicenter, Āwash (4 reports), a town with 37,000 inhabitants in Āfar in 21 km (13 mi) distance west of the epicenter, and Sendafa (3 reports) (148 km or 92 mi to the west) in Oromiya. See the list of places where most people reported this quake further below.
This section is being updated as new data comes in.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
Contribute:
Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.
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2VCC+3PV, Addis Ababa (163.4 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : On 4th floor in a 4 story bldg | 4 users found this interesting.
Legetafo (161.8 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Stronger sequence shakes. | 2 users found this interesting.
Addis abeba (165.1 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Im Bett. Bett hat leicht geklappert. Gefühlt, wie auf einem Kutter im Meer. Insgesamt eher leicht, doch bemer5
Addis Ababa,fiyelbet (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was in my car parked.I thought some one was shaking my car there was no one.Then l understood it was earthquake.
Addis Ababa, kasanchiz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Living on the first floor, in bed. Felt the bed moving, then the picture on the wall making noise but did not fall… nothing fell but the movement was very very unsettling….
Addis Ababa (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / not felt / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Starting fro 15:19 when I was in the first floor of G+8 building I felt shaking of the building several times!
near Addis Ababa (165 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I was on the toilet sit and i just stand up immediately when i felt it after i realized it’s an earthquake i sit back there and i felt it again, a saw things was shaking around….
- Is the toilet seat sitting and standing relevant for us ????????
Addis Ababa, Tuludimitu (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : I was in bed n felt a single lateral shaking,I was able to tell due to prior experience but otherwise it was very very subtle.
Addis Ababa Bole (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : Moderate Relatively stronger shaking | One user found this interesting.
Addis ababa / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Very slight shaking but I am afraid | One user found this interesting.
Addis Ababa (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Shaking and curtains hitting windows. On 4th floor | One user found this interesting.
Hana mariam (178 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Water in the glass was moving, windows have light cracking sound ,around 4.9 Richter scale | One user found this interesting.
166.2 km W of epicenter [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)
Tafo (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short : It was short but strong
Addis Ababa (169.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 15-20 s
near Addis Ababa (169.4 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (179 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s
addis abeba (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Shaking
Addis Ababa (176.8 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
Metehara, Oromiya (49.8 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) (reported through our app)
Metehara, Oromiya (47.1 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s
Addis Ababa, Kasanchis / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s
Āsbe Teferī, Oromiya (56.9 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (175.1 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s
Addis Ababa (177.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s
near Addis Ababa (174.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
Nazrēt, Oromiya (126.2 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (179.3 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)
Nazrēt, Oromiya (125.4 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)
List of cities/places with most reports
Place![]() | Distance from epicenter | Average reported Shaking Intensity | Nr. of reports |
---|---|---|---|
Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, ![]() | 177 km (110 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 81 |
Āwash, Āfar, ![]() | 21 km (13 mi)W of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 4 |
Sendafa, Oromiya, ![]() | 148 km (92 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 3 |
Āsbe Teferī, Oromiya, ![]() | 57 km (35 mi)E of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 2 |
Metehara, Oromiya, ![]() | 50 km (31 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 2 |
Dessie, Amhara, ![]() | 251 km (156 mi)N of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
Nazrēt, Oromiya, ![]() | 130 km (81 mi)SW of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
Palermo, Sicily, ![]() | 4,221 km (2,623 mi)NW of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 1 |
Sebeta, Oromiya, ![]() | 192 km (119 mi)W of epicenter | II: Very weak shaking | 1 |
Gelemso, Oromiya, ![]() | 26 km (16 mi)SE of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 1 |
Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (103 in total) could be used for statistics.
What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?
The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,…IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.
Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.
Read more about the MMI scale!
Number of reports by intensity
Shaking intensity | Number of reports | Min-Max distance from epicenter (*) | Average distance (*) |
---|---|---|---|
I: Not felt | 6 | 125–177 km (78–110 mi) | 156 km (97 mi) |
II: Very weak shaking | 14 | 21–184 km (13.1–114 mi) | 155 km (96 mi) |
III: Weak shaking | 44 | 32–249 km (20–155 mi) | 165 km (103 mi) |
IV: Light shaking | 29 | 26–183 km (16–113 mi) | 161 km (100 mi) |
V: Moderate shaking | 1 | 21–21 km (12.9–12.9 mi) | 21 km (13 mi) |
VI: Strong shaking | 1 | 27–27 km (17.1–17.1 mi) | 27 km (17 mi) |
Notes
(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.
Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (103 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.
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I felt this quake
If you were near the epicenter and felt it, please share your experience and submit a short “I felt it” report! Other users would love to hear about it!
If you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it as well! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science and seismic hazard analysis.
Compare Quake Data
Data for the same earthquake as reported by different agencies
The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
Mag | Depth | Time GMT2025-01-11 | Epicenter | Agency |
---|---|---|---|---|
5.2 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 15:19:44 | 21 km E of Āwash, Ethiopia | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
5.0 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 15:19:45 | Ethiopia26 km (16 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | RaspberryShake (RaspberryShake) |
5.2 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 15:19:44 | Ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
5.0 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 15:19:45 | Ethiopia26 km (16 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences) |
5.2 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 15:19:44 | Ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) |
5.2 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 15:19:45 | Ethiopia30 km (18 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | GeoAu (Geoscience Australia ) |
Notes:
(*) A depth given as 10 km often means that the the depth of the quake could be not determined with sufficient accuracy.
Seismograms
Seismic station: Mt. Furi, Ethiopia (FURI/IU network) | Distance from quake: 185 km / 115 mi | Show on map | Station Info
Seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Bandpass filter applied: 0.1-10.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool
Aftershocks for this quake
No aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.
What are aftershocks?
Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.
[More info]
What about this quake?
Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface of approx. 16 km2 (=6 sqare miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 7 km (4 mi).
[More info]
Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)
Date and Time GMT![]() | Mag Depth | Distance | Region | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 11, 2025 06:19 pm (Addis Ababa) 12 hours ago – felt | 5.2 10 km | 0 km – This quake | 21 km E of Āwash, EthiopiaMain Shock (this quake) | More |
Map of aftershocks
Earthquake statistics
Average number of earthquakes
Based on data from the past 15 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 19.5 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):
- Mag. 6 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 62.5 years)
- Mag. 5 or higher: 0.69 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 1.5 years)
- Mag. 4 or higher: 18.8 quakes per year
- Mag. 3 or higher: 18.8 quakes per year
- Mag. 2 or higher: 18.8 quakes per year
The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 2 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 60 to 65 years.
Number of quakes per year
Year | — |
---|---|
Earthquakes M2+ | — |
Earthquakes M3+ | — |
Earthquakes M4+ | — |
Previous quakes in the same area of this earthquake
No significant quakes had occurred near this quake’s epicenter during the 10 years prior to the earthquake.
Strongest in 32 years
The earthquake was the strongest to hit this part of Ethiopia in over 32 years. Earlier, the last quake of equal or greater strength near the present epicenter had been a magnitude 5.3 earthquake on Saturday, Feb 13, 1993, at 05:25 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in 137 km (85 mi) distance to the southwest:
Mag. 5.3 earthquake Harari – Oromiya, Ethiopia – Feb 13, 1993 – 32 years agoBelow is a list and map of (larger or recent) quakes that had occurred near the area of the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter the list to limit the number to show, by magnitude or time before. Max results10 2050100 All Magnitude All2+ 3+4+5+ 6+7+8+ Time before 48 hours 1 week 30 days 1 year 5 years 30 years Any age
Date and Time![]() | Mag Depth | Distance | Location | Details | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb 13, 1993 05:25 am (Addis Ababa)32 years ago | 5.3 12 km | 137 km (85 mi) to the SW | ![]() | Info | |
Oct 28, 1985 03:08 pm (Addis Ababa)39 years ago | 4.7 10 km | 94 km (59 mi) to the NW | ![]() | Info | |
Aug 14, 1985 11:37 pm (Addis Ababa)39 years ago | 4.9 33 km | 216 km (134 mi) to the W | ![]() | Info |
Map of earlier quakes in the area of this quake
Max results10 2050100 All Magnitude All2+ 3+4+5+ 6+7+8+ Time before 48 hours 1 week 30 days 1 year 5 years 30 years Any age








100 km
50 mi
Leaflet | © Esri— Sources: GEBCO, NOAA, CHS, OSU, UNH, CSUMB, National Geographic, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, and Esri
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