A powerful Suez earthquake jolted millions of Egyptians awake in the early hours of Monday. Tremors spread across Cairo and reached as far as the Gaza border and neighbouring countries.
The Suez earthquake struck at around 3am local time (0000 GMT). Its epicentre was placed roughly 38 to 41 kilometres north of the city of Suez. This is according to Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics and the United States Geological Survey. The tremor that produced the Suez earthquake originated at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometres. This made the shaking feel stronger at the surface.
Magnitude estimates varied slightly between monitoring agencies in the hours after the Suez earthquake. Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics put the figure between 5.5 and 5.6, revising an earlier reading of 5.2. The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude of 5.3. Germany’s Research Centre for Geosciences measured it at 5.4. Such gaps are common straight after a quake, as agencies refine their readings using different seismic networks.
The Suez earthquake was felt well beyond Egypt’s borders. Residents in Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus reported noticeable ground motion, according to the Egyptian Gazette. The Times of Israel reported that tremors also reached Beersheba and areas near Jerusalem. The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said it received more than 3,190 felt reports. Its intensity map showed shaking across Cairo, the Nile Delta, Alexandria and Port Said, extending up to 400 kilometres from the epicentre.
Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics said it had not received any reports of casualties or damage to property. This is according to its statement following the Suez earthquake. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it had activated its emergency response plan in the governorates where the quake was felt. It urged residents to stay away from old buildings and structures showing visible cracks.
Egypt’s Health Ministry, led by Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, ordered emergency response plans activated nationwide, according to Asharq Al Awsat. Ambulance services were placed on high alert. The ministry later said the health situation remained stable, with no quake related injuries recorded.
Many residents in Cairo, Giza and Gharbia described being woken by shaking furniture and swaying fixtures that lasted several seconds, according to Egypt Daily News. Some Android users said they received automated earthquake alerts on their phones moments before the shaking began, BNO News reported. The tremor triggered a wave of social media activity. The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics later urged the public to rely on official updates rather than unverified reports online.
Egypt sits some distance from the seven major global seismic belts. It still remains exposed to moderate earthquakes because of its position near the Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. These geological factors occasionally produce shocks like the one recorded on Monday. The country’s deadliest recorded earthquake struck Cairo in October 1992, killing more than five hundred people. That disaster led to the creation of Egypt’s National Seismological Network, which now monitors activity around the clock.
Officials say the network, run by the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, allows authorities to detect and analyse seismic activity in real time. This capability proved useful in tracking the Suez earthquake within minutes of it striking. Engineers and civil protection teams were reported to be assessing older buildings in Cairo and Suez as a precaution. No structural failures had been confirmed at the time of writing.
Authorities have advised residents across affected governorates to avoid entering buildings with visible structural damage. They are urged to keep following updates from the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics and the Ministry of Health as assessments continue.
