The two-man team, sponsored by the US government, will also "evaluate the probabilities of future large earthquakes and to determine the factors that contributed to the loss of lives and buildings," a statement said.

Malawian geological experts say over 30 earthquakes have hit the uranium mining district of Karonga in the north of the country since December 6, killing four people, displacing over 4,000 people and destroying 1,11O houses.

The largest quake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale.

The embassy said the earthquake disaster assistance team will also train local experts in post-earthquake assessments and communicating with the public, and assess existing disaster response plans.

Over 200,000 people have been told to evacuate their homes in the district, which lies in the earthquake-prone Great East African Rift Valley.

Malawi lies within this valley that stretches from the Red Sea through Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique.

Geologists say the region is an area of seismic activity because of the existing extensive structural fractures.

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