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Magnitude 3.4 Quake Rattles Zeerijp, Third-Strongest Recorded in Groningen

Authorities warn quakes tied to past gas extraction can continue despite the field’s shutdown.

Overview

  • KNMI recorded the quake at 01:16:40 near Zeerijp at about 3 kilometers depth, followed by a felt aftershock around 06:39 measured near magnitude 2.1.
  • Residents across the province reported strong shaking; the Zeerijp community center opened for support and people were urged to file damage reports with the mining damage institute IMG.
  • Provincial leader René Paas called it a harsh blow for residents and said a full picture of damage will take weeks, pressing for simpler, more humane handling of claims and reinforcements.
  • Regulator SodM says induced seismicity will persist for some time with a small, roughly 1% probability of a magnitude 4.0 or stronger event, though the risk is declining.
  • Initial checks found no visible damage to key waterworks and the 14th‑century Jacobuskerk appears intact for now, while GBB expects hundreds to thousands of claims and urges faster home strengthening.