A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck Egypt on Thursday, shaking the Middle East and sending tectonic shock waves through the region, causing residents in neighbouring Israel to feel a shakeout.
The earthquake struck in the early morning, prompting residents to feel the first alarm and prompting geological and emergency management agencies to deploy teams to monitor for aftershocks and respond to multiple earthquakes. There were no direct casualties or damage and no major damage and no major injuries reported on Friday, but authorities were still assessing the effects of the earthquake and watching for aftershocks.
Early seismic data indicate that the earthquake originated at a few kilometres below the Earth’s surface and was felt all over the world. Building sway in some of the Egyptian cities and light fixtures shaking for a few seconds were reported to be taken as evidence. Social media networks were flooded with reports from people about the tremor, with many claiming they were awakened by it.
The earthquake was felt well beyond Egypt’s borders, and tremors also struck parts of Israel. Residents in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa reported feeling a mild to moderate shaking. Some briefly evacuated buildings as a precaution; others said their desks, chairs, and household objects were shaking. Emergency services are on the job to monitor the situation, but haven’t seen significant structural damage yet, the Israeli government said.
Seismologists note that earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean region are not unusual because the African, Arabian, and Eurasian plates are involved in the tectonic processes that are very active in the region. Egypt and Israel are situated in a region where a number of active fault lines remain in place, such as the Dead Sea Transform fault and seismic zones under the Mediterranean Sea. Most earthquakes are relatively minor in this area, but stronger earthquakes do occur and can be felt in many countries.
Emergency response agencies in Egypt told people to remain calm and take safety measures in line with the standard precautions as well that are already in place. Residents should go home to see if there is any damage and not take any damage to their homes, and stay informed through official government channels, they said. The information from seismic monitoring and emergency management agencies and seismic monitoring organisations and state emergency management departments should also be kept clean and be kept on top of the situation, and not spread misinformation, they added.
The earthquake brought back discussion of disaster preparedness in the area. Scientists have long argued for earthquake-resistant infrastructure and public awareness campaigns, ideally in dense urban areas. Modern construction standards have increased resilience in many areas, but older buildings may be susceptible to earthquakes. Emergency planners conduct drills and preparedness exercises to ensure that people know what to do in an earthquake.
People from Egypt and Israel expressed surprise and alarm at the first sight of the tremor, as well as concern after the earthquake struck Egypt and Israel. Videos from Egyptians and Israelis posted videos that showed swaying chandeliers, rattling windows, and furniture shaking in the streets. But authorities said the situation remained under control and there was no evidence of a larger earthquake in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, and there was no report that anything else might have happened on the ground just after it had happened. Monitoring stations were still monitoring the situation in the region to look for aftershocks or any earthquakes or other geological changes.
Scientists said earthquakes of this magnitude can be felt over such long distances, and the epicentre is in a region where seismic waves travel efficiently through rock formations. The frequent reports of shaking from Egypt and Israel show how interlinked seismic activity is in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The earthquake was so strong that people fled in terror. But there has been no immediate report of major damage or causal events so far in the country. The experts, however, have advised people to be prepared and know their way in the case of an earthquake.
