Second earthquake shakes Groningen near Uithuizen in 1 day

In Uithuizen, in the north of Groningen, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 1.7 occurred around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, the KNMI reports. More than an hour earlier, the area in the municipality of Het Hogeland was hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.7.

In recent weeks, several quakes have been reported with Uithuizen as the epicenter. There was one with a magnitude of 2.3 on Sept. 9, one with a magnitude of 1.3 on Aug. 28 and one with a magnitude of 1.9 on Aug. 19.

Earthquakes are more frequent in the area as a result of gas extraction. The heaviest earthquake to date was on Aug. 16, 2012, near Huizinge. It had a strength of 3.6.

The Groningen Security Region spoke of a "huge bang," saying "the fear is there again." According to the security region, the quake is again causing damage to houses. The municipality of Het Hogeland, which includes Uithuizen, says that the earthquake was felt in various places and that residents can report damage to the Groningen Mining Damage Institute (IMG).

On Twitter, several people say they felt the quake on Saturday, such as Els Smits in the hamlet of Doodstil near Uithuizen.

"And me in the gym at #Uithuizermeeden just thinking that some tough powerhouse were dropping heavy weights on the floor, until I realized and everyone there realized: #earthquake," wrote Nettie Klompsma on Twitter.

Berry Haan says that it was a "huge thunder and earthquake" in Uithuizermeeden. "Whole house was shaking, windows, plants shifted." He said it was the worst yet.