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Takunda Maodza Manicaland Bureau Chief
The Meteorological Services Department has installed seismic instruments at two sites in Chipinge to record earth tremors.

Seismic instruments are used to measure low frequency ground motion caused by earthquakes.

Chipinge has been experiencing earthquakes of late.

Acting Manicaland provincial development coordinator Mr Edgars Seenza confirmed the development in an interview with The Herald yesterday.

“I think you are aware that in Chipinge there have been reports of earthquakes and it also affected Chimanimani and Chiredzi. Chipinge has a history of earthquakes.

“The department of Meteorological Services has put in place seismic instruments to be able to detect these earth movements,” he said.

Mr Seenza said the instruments only read intensity of an earthquake.

“But you know there is no technology that can tell that an earthquake is going to happen. The seismic instruments only read the intensity of the earthquake.

“The instruments were installed at Beacon Hill and Chipinge Coffee Research station. Those stations will tell the magnitude of the earthquakes,” he said.

Mr Seenza said Chipinge experiences more earthquakes because of its closeness to Mozambique.

“The reason why Chipinge is more affected is because it is close to the epicentre which is in Mozambique,” he said.

Chipinge experienced an earthquake of 5,5 magnitude in December 2018. Another earthquake rattled the same district in May this year.

Chipinge also suffered earth tremors in 2011 and 2016.

Efforts to get a comment from the Meteorological Services Department were fruitless yesterday.