5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off Egypt’s Red Sea coast early on Monday, with tremors felt in Cairo and other areas….reports Asian Lite News Desk
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Egypt’s Red Sea coast early on Monday, sending tremors across parts of the country, including the capital Cairo, while prompting authorities to activate emergency response measures. Officials said there were no reports of casualties or damage.
According to Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, the earthquake occurred at around 3 a.m. local time, with its epicentre located northeast of the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The institute said the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres, with the epicentre recorded at 30.19 degrees north latitude and 32.61 degrees east longitude.
It confirmed that residents in several areas felt the tremor but said there had been “no loss of life or property”.
Xinhua correspondents also reported feeling noticeable tremors in Cairo.
Following the earthquake, Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, ordered the immediate activation of the country’s health emergency plan and convened the ministry’s central crisis and emergency operations room.
The ministry placed emergency and critical care departments in hospitals nationwide on the highest level of alert and confirmed that ambulances and rapid-response teams had been placed on standby.
Health officials later said the situation remained stable and that no earthquake-related injuries had been reported.
The Egyptian Red Crescent also activated its emergency response plans in cities where the tremor was felt. It said it had received no reports of casualties or property damage.
Egypt is located near several active tectonic zones, including the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, making the country vulnerable to occasional moderate earthquakes, although most cause little or no significant damage.
Northern Egypt can also experience seismic activity linked to the Mediterranean region, where the African Plate moves beneath the Eurasian Plate, generating moderate to strong earthquakes that are sometimes felt across the country.
