Tremors from Mediterranean earthquake felt in Israel

Mild seismic waves reach northern Israel from 5.8 magnitude quake with epicenter off the coast of Western Turkey.

By SHARON UDASIN
Richter Scale, earthquake quake hand graph 311 (R) (photo credit: Pichi Chuang / Reuters)
Richter Scale, earthquake quake hand graph 311 (R)
(photo credit: Pichi Chuang / Reuters)
Tremors from a mild earthquake in the eastern Mediterranean were allegedly felt on Israel's northern shores on early Saturday evening at 5:21 p.m.
The earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program, scored a 5.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale, with its epicenter falling about 80 kilometers south-southwest of Avsallar, Turkey, and 204 kilometers west-northwest of Nicosia, Cyprus.
The last earthquake that was felt in Israel occurred on December 12, with a 3.4 magnitude, near Haifa, according to data from the Israel Geophysical Institute's Seismology Division.
In October, a string of minor earthquakes rattled Israel's North without causing any injuries or significant damages.
The last significant quake to impact Israel occurred in 1927 with a 6.2 magnitude, killing a total of 550 people on both sides of the Jordan River.