Earthquake shakes area north of Suez
A 5.6-magnitude tremor was recorded north of Suez; authorities activated emergency plans and reported no immediate casualties.
An earthquake struck 38 kilometres north of the Egyptian city of Suez at about 3:00 a.m., authorities reported, registering 5.6 on the Richter scale according to the country’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG).
NRIAG said it had not received any reports of casualties or material damage in the immediate aftermath of the tremor. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) later assessed the magnitude at 5.4 and placed the event at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Emergency services put on alert
Egypt’s Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, ordered that emergency plans be activated across the country and instructed ambulance and emergency services to remain at "maximum readiness" while teams check for possible impacts.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said it has activated its emergency response plan in the governorates where the shaking was felt and urged residents to avoid buildings that show signs of structural damage and to follow official updates as authorities complete their assessments.
Strong earthquakes are uncommon in northeastern Egypt. The deadliest recent quake in the country occurred in October 1992, when a 5.8-magnitude shock struck the capital and more than 500 people were killed while thousands were left homeless.
Photo: EPA/KHALED ELFIQI
