Moderate mag. 4.5 earthquake – 59 km southeast of Debre Birhan, Amhara, Ethiopia, on Monday, Mar 17, 2025, at 12:20 am (Addis Ababa time)

Updated: Mar 17, 2025 07:37 GMT – 2 hours 10 minutes ago refresh

I felt this quake

A moderate magnitude 4.3 earthquake hit 48 km (30 mi) away from Abomsa, Amhara, Ethiopia, in the early morning of Monday, Mar 17, 2025 at 12.20 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow.The quake was felt widely in the area. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.

Hint: Click on the image to see different maps of this quake!

Moderate magnitude 4.3 earthquake at unknown depth

16 Mar 21:21 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 2 minutes.
16 Mar 21:47: Now using data updates from GFZ
16 Mar 21:50: Now using data updates from EMSC
17 Mar 00:15: Now using data updates from USGS

Update Sun, 16 Mar 2025, 22:16

Felt earthquake: 4.5 quake Ethiopia 56 minutes ago – 67 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 Sun, 16 Mar 2025, 21:41

Shaking reported, possible quake Near Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 19m ago | – 52 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.

Read all

If you were or still are in this area during the quake help others with your feedback and report it here.

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I didn’t feel it

I felt this quake

Earthquake details

Date & time	Mar 16, 2025 21:20:16 UTC – 12 hours ago
Local time at epicenter	Monday, Mar 17, 2025, at 12:20 am (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3)
Status	Confirmed (manually revised)
Magnitude	4.3
Depth	10 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude	9.5647°N / 40.0923°E Ethiopia
Seismic antipode	9.5647°S / 139.908°W French Polynesia
Quality	31 seismic stations
Shaking intensity	IV Light shaking near epicenter
Felt	80 reports
Primary data source	USGS (United States Geological Survey)
Nearest volcano	Dofen (24 km / 15 mi)
Weather at epicenter at time of quake	Broken Clouds 17.3°C (63 F), humidity: 45%, wind: 1 m/s (3 kts) from SW
Estimated seismic energy released	1.8 x 10¹¹ joules (49.4 megawatt hours, equivalent to 42.5 tons of TNT) \| equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.3 \| about seismic energy

500 km

500 mi

+−

Leaflet | Map data: © Google Maps

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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 Debre Birhan, a city with more than 150,000 inhabitants in Ethiopia, in 63 km (39 mi) distance west of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. Several smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 159 km (99 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as very 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
48 km (30 mi)N of epicenter	Abomsa(pop: 30,400)	III: Weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
48 km (30 mi)NW of epicenter	Debre Sina(pop: 9,410)	III: Weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
52 km (33 mi)NW of epicenter	Robit(pop: 39,600)	III: Weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
58 km (36 mi)NW of epicenter	Kobo(pop: 56,100)	III: Weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
63 km (39 mi)W of epicenter	Debre Birhan(pop: 146,900)	III: Weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
64 km (40 mi)S of epicenter	Awash(pop: 36,500)	III: Weak	Afar Region	Ethiopia
76 km (47 mi)S of epicenter	Metahara(pop: 23,400)	III: Weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
82 km (51 mi)SE of epicenter	Mi’eso(pop: 27,700)	III: Weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
89 km (55 mi)N of epicenter	At’aye(pop: 26,300)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
90 km (56 mi)NE of epicenter	Gewane(pop: 11,300)	II: Very weak	Afar Region	Ethiopia
92 km (57 mi)W of epicenter	Sheno(pop: 22,900)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
95 km (59 mi)SE of epicenter	Gelemso(pop: 34,200)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
96 km (59 mi)NW of epicenter	Mehal Meda(pop: 24,900)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
100 km (62 mi)SE of epicenter	Asbe Teferi(pop: 30,800)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
106 km (66 mi)SE of epicenter	Bedesa(pop: 37,700)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
117 km (73 mi)E of epicenter	Hirna(pop: 24,200)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
123 km (77 mi)SW of epicenter	Welench’iti(pop: 31,500)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
126 km (78 mi)W of epicenter	Sendafa(pop: 25,500)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
130 km (81 mi)NW of epicenter	‘Alem Ketema(pop: 23,500)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
130 km (81 mi)N of epicenter	Kemise(pop: 43,800)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
135 km (84 mi)NW of epicenter	Were Ilu(pop: 20,600)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
145 km (90 mi)SW of epicenter	Nazret(pop: 456,900)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
151 km (94 mi)E of epicenter	Deder(pop: 26,900)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
151 km (94 mi)W of epicenter	Fiche(pop: 57,100)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
152 km (95 mi)SW of epicenter	Bishoftu(pop: 207,400)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
152 km (95 mi)SW of epicenter	Mojo(pop: 61,300)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
154 km (96 mi)N of epicenter	Harbu(pop: 24,500)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
156 km (97 mi)SW of epicenter	Wonji(pop: 29,200)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
159 km (99 mi)SW of epicenter	Addis Ababa(pop: 3,860,000)	II: Very weak	Addis Ababa	Ethiopia
168 km (104 mi)W of epicenter	Burayu(pop: 101,400)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
173 km (108 mi)N of epicenter	Kombolcha(pop: 132,100)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
177 km (110 mi)SW of epicenter	Sebeta(pop: 102,300)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
182 km (113 mi)N of epicenter	Dessie(pop: 270,400)	II: Very weak	Amhara	Ethiopia
183 km (114 mi)W of epicenter	Genet(pop: 48,300)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
195 km (121 mi)E of epicenter	Dire Dawa(pop: 343,000)	II: Very weak	Dire Dawa	Ethiopia
208 km (129 mi)SW of epicenter	Asela(pop: 139,500)	II: Very weak	Arsi Zone, Oromiya	Ethiopia
211 km (131 mi)SW of epicenter	Mek’i(pop: 75,200)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
211 km (131 mi)E of epicenter	‘Alemaya(pop: 63,700)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia
224 km (139 mi)E of epicenter	Harar(pop: 157,000)	II: Very weak	Harari	Ethiopia
236 km (147 mi)SW of epicenter	Ziway(pop: 90,500)	II: Very weak	Oromiya	Ethiopia

Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.

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User-reports for this quake (82)

The first report about ground shaking reached us after only 2 minutes, before other agencies reported it. So far, we have received 82 reports for this quake from Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, and Italy. Out of these, 80 people indicated they felt it. The quake was reported to have been felt in up to approx. 160–180 km (99–112 mi) distance.

The majority of reports came from Addis Ababa (70 reports), the capital of Ethiopia with 3,900,000 inhabitants in 159 km (99 mi) distance southwest of the epicenter, Burayu (4 reports), a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Oromiya in 168 km (104 mi) distance west of the epicenter, and Sendafa (1 report) (126 km or 78 mi to the west). 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.
Flag as inappropriate.
Mark as helpful or interesting.
Send your own user report!

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Addis Ababa (150.8 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : I was laying down and I felt a single shake. This is the second earthquake tonight the first one at 9:53pm was stronger in duration and intensity. | 3 users found this interesting.

Addis abeba tafo condominium (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Scary | 3 users found this interesting.

Addis Ababa (164.4 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / very short : Rattlimg of furniture in the house | 2 users found this interesting.

Addis Ababa (90.4 km SW of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : it washuge and not like the magnitude of 4.3, it was as if the earth has detached fro its axis for a moment

CMC Addis abeba (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : CMC | One user found this interesting.

Addis ababa (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I felt it in addis | One user found this interesting.

Kenterey, alemgena (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Moving horizontal | One user found this interesting.

Addis Ababa Yeka (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : It’s was noticeable | One user found this interesting.

Sheger city, fury (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Horizontal shaking | One user found this interesting.

Addis ababa (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Strong jault. Moderatr | One user found this interesting.

Home (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / very short : I has shaked my bed | One user found this interesting.

In Ayat area (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Seat and room window shook | One user found this interesting.

Jemo (177.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I felt that the light is shaking and moving lightly. | One user found this interesting. (reported through our app)

Addis ababa (162.2 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : bad | One user found this interesting. (reported through our app)

addis Ababa (147.5 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : short | One user found this interesting. (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (142.5 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : lying in bed | One user found this interesting. (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (156.2 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Addis Ababa (158.8 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Burayu, Oromiya (166 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (154.2 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (154 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (158.6 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)

unada buri (33.4 km ESE of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (157.9 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)

Addis ababa, karakore (159.3 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Addis Abeba,Goro Silase Condominium (150.8 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (163.4 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)

addis ababa (165 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)

Nazret, Oromiya (143.1 km SW of epicenter) [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)

Addis Ababa (158.8 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

near Addis Ababa (146 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)

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List of cities/places with most reports

Place	Distance from epicenter	Average reported Shaking Intensity	Nr. of reports
Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Pop.: 3,860,000)	159 km (99 mi)SW of epicenter	III: Weak shaking	70
Burayu, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 101,400)	168 km (104 mi)W of epicenter	IV: Light shaking	4
Sendafa, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 25,500)	126 km (78 mi)W of epicenter	IV: Light shaking	1
Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates(Pop.: 3,478,300)	2,359 km (1,466 mi)NE of epicenter	III: Weak shaking	1
Milan, Lombardy, Italy(Pop.: 1,371,498)	4,962 km (3,083 mi)NW of epicenter	IV: Light shaking	1
Awasa, SNNPR, Ethiopia(Pop.: 422,200)	330 km (205 mi)SW of epicenter	IV: Light shaking	1
Mi’eso, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 27,700)	82 km (51 mi)SE of epicenter	V: Moderate shaking	1
Welench’iti, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 31,500)	123 km (77 mi)SW of epicenter	V: Moderate shaking	1

Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (82 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	2	143–159 km (89–99 mi)	151 km (94 mi)
II: Very weak shaking	9	146–164 km (91–102 mi)	156 km (97 mi)
III: Weak shaking	29	145–168 km (90–105 mi)	158 km (98 mi)
IV: Light shaking	30	142–177 km (88–110 mi)	158 km (98 mi)
V: Moderate shaking	1	33–33 km (21–21 mi)	33 km (21 mi)

Notes
(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.
Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (82 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.

I didn’t feel it

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.

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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 GMT2025-03-16	Epicenter	Agency
4.3± 0.11	10 km6.2 mi(*)±1.9 km	21:20:16.987	47 km SSE of Abomsa, EthiopiaEpicenter uncertainty: ± 7.2 km	USGS (United States Geological Survey)
4.49± 0.35	10 km6.2 mi(*)	21:20:16.28±0.42s	Ethiopia16 km (9.9 mi) epicenter difference with USGSEpicenter uncertainty: ± 6 km	GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
4.5	10 km6.2 mi(*)	21:20:16	Ethiopia16 km (9.7 mi) epicenter difference with USGS	RaspberryShake (RaspberryShake)
4.3± 0.11	10 km6.2 mi(*)	21:20:16.987±1.51s	ETHIOPIA0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGSEpicenter uncertainty: ± 19 km	EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
4.3	10 km6.2 mi(*)	21:20:16	ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS	IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology)

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: 172 km / 107 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: 0.2-10.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool

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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. 2 km² (=1 sqare miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 2 km (2 mi).

[More info]

Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)

Date and Time GMT	Mag Depth	Distance	Region	Details
Mar 17, 2025 12:20 am (Addis Ababa) 10 hours ago – felt	4.3 10 km	0 km – This quake	48 km S of Abomsa, Amhara, EthiopiaMain Shock (this quake)	More

Map of aftershocks

https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquakemap/earthquakeMap.php?quakeId=21561720&mode=showAftershocks

Earthquake statistics

Average number of earthquakes

Based on data from the past 25 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 38.2 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):

Mag. 6 or higher: 0.03 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 31.3 years)
Mag. 5 or higher: 0.59 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 1.7 years)
Mag. 4 or higher: 36.7 quakes per year (or 3.1 quakes per month)
Mag. 3 or higher: 37.3 quakes per year (or 3.1 quakes per month)
Mag. 2 or higher: 38.3 quakes per year (or 3.2 quakes per month)

The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 4 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 30 to 35 years.

Number of quakes per year

Year	—
Earthquakes M2+	—
Earthquakes M3+	—
Earthquakes M4+	—

Previous quakes in the same area of this earthquake

Strongest in 26 years

The earthquake was the strongest to hit this part of Ethiopia in over 26 years. Earlier, the last quake of equal or greater strength near the present epicenter had been a magnitude 4.5 earthquake on Saturday, Apr 17, 1999, at 02:12 pm local time (Universal Time GMT +0) in 228 km (142 mi) distance to the west:

Mag. 4.5 earthquake Harari – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Apr 17, 1999 – 26 years agoThe strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 4.9. It had occurred 40 years ago earlier, on Wednesday, Aug 14, 1985, at 11:37 pm local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in SNNPR, Ethiopia:

Mag. 4.9 earthquake 26 km NE of Butaj?ra – Ethiopia – Aug 14, 1985 – 40 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
Jan 18, 07:42 pm (Addis Ababa)8 weeks ago	4.1 10 km	86 km (53 mi) to the SW	Amhara, 36 km west of Metahara, Oromiya, Ethiopia	Info
Jun 8, 2013 01:58 pm (Universal Time)12 years ago	3.6 10 km	100 km (62 mi) to the SW	Amhara, 65 km east of Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Info
May 25, 2013 04:58 pm (Universal Time)12 years ago	3.5 10 km	87 km (54 mi) to the SW	Amhara, 19 km southeast of Sheno, Oromiya, Ethiopia	Info
Aug 31, 2011 08:02 am (Universal Time)14 years ago	3.1 2 km	138 km (86 mi) to the SW	Ethiopia	Info
Feb 15, 2010 09:33 am (Universal Time)15 years ago	1.0 2 km	161 km (100 mi) to the SW	Ethiopia	Info
Jan 5, 2010 02:24 am (Universal Time)15 years ago	2.2 2 km	146 km (91 mi) to the W	Ethiopia	Info
Jan 10, 2003 12:13 pm (Universal Time)22 years ago	3.4 12 km	127 km (79 mi) to the SW	Ethiopia	Info
Apr 11, 2002 04:50 am (Universal Time)23 years ago	2.8 6 km	119 km (74 mi) to the SW	Ethiopia	Info
Jun 15, 2001 12:19 am (Universal Time)24 years ago	2.5 36 km	203 km (126 mi) to the SW	Ethiopia	Info
May 23, 2001 01:16 am (Universal Time)24 years ago	3.6 2 km	72 km (45 mi) to the W	Ethiopia	Info
Apr 17, 1999 02:12 pm (Universal Time)26 years ago	4.5 10 km	228 km (142 mi) to the W	Harari, 94 km northwest of Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Info
Feb 12, 1993 09:49 am (Universal Time)32 years ago	4.1 3.7 km	130 km (80 mi) to the SW	Harari, 17 km northeast of Nazret, Oromiya, Ethiopia	Info
Aug 14, 1985 11:37 pm (Addis Ababa)40 years ago	4.9 33 km	222 km (138 mi) to the SW	SNNPR, 84 km south of Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Info