Early Monday morning, just past 3 a.m., a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck 38 kilometers (24 miles) north of Suez in Egypt, according to the National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research.
Initially estimated at 5.2 magnitude, the earthquake was later revised upward to 5.6 magnitude by the institute.
The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) recorded the earthquake at 5.4 magnitude with a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). On the other hand, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) downgraded the shallow earthquake to 5.0 magnitude.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Health, one person has been reported injured so far. The Egyptian Red Crescent has activated an emergency response plan in the affected area, urging residents to stay away from buildings showing signs of structural damage and to closely follow official updates as authorities continue to assess the situation.
Reports from the Israeli news outlet “Times of Israel” mentioned tremors being felt in parts of southern and central Israel. In Egypt, the earthquake startled residents in Cairo and as far as El-Arish near the Gaza border.
Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar ordered the national activation of an emergency response plan and instructed ambulance services to maintain the “highest level of readiness.”
Authorities have evacuated three households from a collapsed building in the Rod al-Farag area in northern Cairo. The Egyptian Red Crescent also received reports of a balcony collapse near the epicenter of the Suez earthquake.
Rescue organizations are urging residents to steer clear of old dilapidated buildings, which are common in many working-class neighborhoods in Egypt.
Residents in Beersheba and areas near Jerusalem in Israel reported feeling the earthquake. Tremors were also recorded in Jordan and Lebanon.