At least 14 people have died with many more feared dead after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck northwest Tanzania.

The quake was recorded at a depth of 6 miles (10km), 27 miles (44km) from the northwestern town of Bukoba and near the western shore of Lake Victoria.

It was felt as far away as western Kenya and parts of Uganda.

Most of those who were killed were in brick houses and buildings in Bukoba, in Kagera province, a regional police official said.

Some 15 boys, who were secondary school boarders in the worst-hit city, were believed to be among the casualties.


More than 200 people were injured in the quake which destroyed 270 homes and caused power outages.

One witness, who did not give her name, told the Associated Press: "It started really small and later became big, and that's when people started running away."

Another unnamed witness said: "I felt such a big tremor, people were coming from this direction and that direction, nearly bumping into each other."

Bukoba's main hospital was stretched to near full capacity and had limited medicines, the Red Cross said.

President John Magufuli's office said in a statement that he was "shocked by reports of the earthquake that caused the death of many people, injury to others and destruction of property".

The last notable quake in the region was in 2004 and measured 4.7 on the Richter scale.