5.6-magnitude earthquake hits near Egypt’s Suez

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck near the Egyptian city of Suez early Monday, sending tremors across several parts of Egypt and neighbouring countries.

The earthquake occurred shortly after 3am Cairo time, with the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) initially recording its magnitude at 5.2 before revising it upward to 5.5 and eventually 5.6.

The institute said the epicentre was located about 38 kilometres north of Suez at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Other seismic monitoring agencies recorded slightly different readings. The German Research Centre for Geosciences measured the quake at 5.4, while the US Geological Survey estimated it at 5.0, both at a depth of about 10 kilometres.

The tremor was widely felt across Egypt, including Cairo, the Nile Delta, Alexandria and Port Said. Reports also indicated that the shaking was felt in the Gaza Strip, Jordan and Lebanon.

More than 3,190 people reported feeling the earthquake to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, with some residents saying the shaking lasted several seconds and was strong enough to wake people in Cairo.

Although there were initially no reports of casualties, authorities later confirmed several instances of minor structural damage.

A balcony collapsed at a residential property in Suez governorate, although no injuries were recorded. In Cairo, a partially damaged three-storey building in Rod El Farag was evacuated, with three families relocated to relatives’ homes as a precaution.

In Sharqia governorate, Civil Defence personnel also evacuated a residential building in Ghasham after it developed a noticeable lean following the tremor.

Egypt’s Health Ministry activated its emergency response plan and opened a central crisis and emergency operations room near Cairo.

The Egyptian Red Crescent also deployed emergency teams to areas affected by the earthquake and urged residents to stay away from buildings showing signs of structural damage and to rely on official information.

The Red Crescent later reported receiving several calls about minor structural damage.

Authorities continued monitoring the situation, with no significant disruption reported following the earthquake.

Separately, Jordan’s official Petra news agency reported that a 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck northern Iraq on Sunday. The Iraqi Seismic Observatory said the tremor occurred east of Kirkuk, with no casualties or material damage reported.