2024 Elborra earthquake
 The damage suffered by the Durbanne Cathedral | |
| UTC time | 2024-08-07 18:53:51 |
|---|---|
| Local date | August 7, 2024 |
| Local time | 18:53:51 |
| Duration | 53 seconds |
| Magnitude | 7.7 Mw |
| Epicenter | Alta'ti, Elborra |
| Max. intensity | X |
| Casualties | 24,000 deaths |
The 2024 Elborra earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.7 Mw earthquake that struck Elborra at 18:53 local time on Wednesday, 7 August 2024. The epicenter was located approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Durbanne in the South Samson Ocean. Most of the damage in the quake occurred in the western regions of Arniston Island, devastating the namesake city and its surrounding towns. Major damage also extended to Durbanne, the national capital of Alta'ti, Witsand, Albertina, and Hillcrest.
President Jaques Ryan called the disaster the country's "worst earthquake in four centuries". Hundreds of thousands of structures were destroyed, and more than 24,000 people were killed, making it the second-deadliest earthquake of the 2020s after the Konkurso Gulf earthquake and tsunami. Many countries responded to appeals for humanitarian aid, pledging funds and dispatching rescue and medical teams, engineers and support personnel. Celebrities such as Kyla, Eon Witbooi, and Hansie Pienaar raised tens of millions of dollars in less than a day. Communication systems, air, land, and sea transport facilities, hospitals, and electrical networks had been damaged by the earthquake, which hampered rescue and aid efforts in rural areas; air traffic congestion and problems with prioritizing flights further complicated early relief work.