A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Cyprus area and was felt in Israel late Tuesday night, Israeli media reported, citing the Geophysical Institute of Israel.
According to Ynet, the earthquake was felt in Haifa.
Reports of the quake were confirmed by the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, which claimed that it was felt around 20 km. west of the town of Lefka.
⚠Preliminary info: #earthquake (#σεισμός) about 20 km W of #Lefka (#Cyprus) 10 min ago (local time 22:54:17)❗MAGNITUDE NOT AVAILABLE YET❗Updates at:https://t.co/LBaVNedgF9https://t.co/AXvOM7I4Thhttps://t.co/wPtMW5ND1t pic.twitter.com/rZE6DiU3Y4
— EMSC (@LastQuake) April 26, 2022
Seismic data obtained by the EMSC indicated that the quake was magnitude 4.3, though another report indicated a 4.0 magnitude quake struck later 19 km. southwest of Akhelia.
#Earthquake (#σεισμός) M4.0 occurred 19 km SW of #Akhelia (#Cyprus) 6 min ago (local time 23:02:23). More info at:https://t.co/LBaVNedgF9https://t.co/OnYzFS2xa4https://t.co/NajYxklukA pic.twitter.com/lwvhc5jcB1
— EMSC (@LastQuake) April 26, 2022
According to the seismological center, this was the third earthquake felt in Cyprus in the span of two hours.
Shaking was felt in the Eastern Mediterranean island nation but no reports of damages have emerged.
This was not the first time an earthquake that struck near Cyprus was felt in Israel. Back in February 2022, a 4.5 magnitude quake struck off its coast and felt in Israel.
Two earthquakes also struck northern Israel in January 2022.
At the time, the mayor of Beit Shean, Jacky Levy, told Army Radio that around 10,000 people could be killed in his city alone due to the earthquakes. A Jerusalem Post editorial called out the lack of preparedness and safety concerns faced by Israeli cities.
Earthquakes measuring from 3 to 3.9 on the Richter scale are considered minor, and while they can be felt by many people, they do not usually cause damage. An earthquake from 4 to 4.9 can be felt by all people in the area and can cause minor damage.
This is a developing story.