Mild Earthquake hits parts of Kenya, causing no significant damage

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenyans have reported earth tremors in several counties, including Nairobi, Nyeri, Mombasa, Machakos, Makueni and Kiambu.

The earth tremors were experienced on Sunday evening at about 7 pm and lasted for several seconds.

According to the www.earthquaketrack.com, a 4.8 magnitude quake hit Wundanyi in Taita Taveta County at 7.21pm.

Another earthquake tracker, www.emsc-csem.org, reported a magnitude 4 quake in Spain with a depth of 10km that occurred about the same time as the one felt in Kenya.

Reports of the tremors were reported by Kenyans online to the www.volcanicdiscovery.com from as far as Chogoria in Tharaka Nithi and Nanyuki in Laikipia.

"I was watching TV and thought the dogs were bumping up against my chair. Then I heard a rumbling and the windows hummed a little. Realized it was an earthquake," read a comment posted on the Volcanic Discovery website by someone in Nyeri County.

Writing on his Twitter timeline, Scott Bellows, who is a lecturer at the United States International University-Africa, said those in coastal Kenya (Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi, Lamu and Diani) should seek higher ground as a precaution.

Mr Bellows, however, is not a geologist but an assistant professor of management at USIU-Africa.

"Leave low lying areas near the beach until given an all-clear after geologists pinpoint earthquake epicentre. Possible tsunami" said Mr Bellows.

After the tremors, lights went out in several counties even though it is not clear that the blackout was linked to the earthquake.

The Kenya Meteorological Department confirmed the earthquake in a phone call to NTV Kenya but said there is no cause for alarm.