[2][3] The 5.9 magnitude earthquake near the west shore of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania occurred as the result of shallow oblique faulting within the lithosphere of the African plate.

In this context, this earthquake is some 200 km or more to the east of the West Branch of the Rift System, which runs along the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and both Uganda (in the north) and Tanzania (to the south).

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, the main hospital was reported to be stretched beyond its capacity and running low on stocks of medicine, while electricity and telecommunication services were disrupted.

[4][5] On September 12, the Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa's office reported at least 840 houses were destroyed by the quake, with another 1,264 seriously damaged, rendering thousands of people homeless.

[8][9] Members of the Tanzanian Red Cross took part in relief and rescue operations after the quake, aided by volunteers from across the country, as well as from neighbouring Uganda and Kenya.