5.7 magnitude earthquake shakes Africa's Lake Tanganyika

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit near Africa's Lake Tanganyika early on Friday, the US GeologicalSurvey said, with the epicenter in northern Zambia.

The quake, which was 10 kilometers (six miles) deep, struck at 6:32 AM (IST) about 45 kilometers from the Zambian town of Kaputa, which lies near the borders of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In December 2005, a powerful earthquake struck the Lake Tanganyika region of East Africa. That 6.8-magnitude quake shook buildings in cities throughout the east and central African region. Much of the eastern African region lies in the Great Rift Valley, a massive geographical feature created by shifting of tectonic plates and volcanic activity.