Cairo: A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh early Monday, with tremors felt across parts of Egypt, including the capital Cairo. Authorities confirmed there were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage.
Tremors felt across Egypt
According to Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, the earthquake occurred at around 3:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres. The epicentre was located at 30.19 degrees north latitude and 32.61 degrees east longitude, northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The institute said residents in several areas felt the tremors, while Xinhua correspondents also reported noticeable shaking in Cairo.
Emergency response activated
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.
Hospitals across the country were placed on the highest alert, with emergency and critical-care departments, ambulances and rapid-response teams kept on standby.
The Health Ministry later confirmed that the situation remained stable and that no earthquake-related injuries had been reported.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Red Crescent also activated its emergency response plans in affected areas and said it had received no reports of casualties or property damage.
Why earthquakes occur in Egypt
Egypt is located near active tectonic zones surrounding the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aqaba, making the country vulnerable to occasional moderate earthquakes.
Northern Egypt is also influenced by seismic activity in the Mediterranean region, where the African Plate moves beneath the Eurasian Plate, occasionally triggering moderate to strong earthquakes felt across the country.