Dr. Sherif El Hady, Head of the Earthquake Department at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, reassured the public, emphasizing that Egypt is not located within the world's major seismic belts and that all aftershocks following the Gulf of Suez earthquake have been weak, imperceptible, and not a cause for concern.
In press statements, El Hady explained that all recorded aftershocks measured below 3.0 on the Richter scale, which is why they were not felt by residents. He noted that the continued occurrence of minor aftershocks after an earthquake is a natural phenomenon and is typically detected only by specialized seismic monitoring equipment.
He stressed that Egypt is situated far from the world's major seismic belts, noting that the closest is the Eastern Mediterranean seismic belt, located approximately 400 kilometers from Egypt's borders. He added that while seismic activity is well known in the Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba, and the Red Sea, it differs significantly in strength from the seismic activity in the Eastern Mediterranean. According to El Hady, the impact of such activity is generally limited to causing public concern rather than posing a serious threat.
He also pointed out that the reason many people felt Monday's tremor was that its epicenter was relatively closer to Cairo than in previous earthquakes, making the shaking more noticeable. However, he stressed that this does not necessarily mean the earthquake was more dangerous.
The Head of the Earthquake Department urged citizens to remain calm and respond appropriately during earthquakes by staying in safe locations inside buildings, avoiding elevators, and refraining from rushing to stairways while shaking is ongoing. He also advised residents of high-rise buildings to remain where they are until the tremors have completely subsided.
Earlier, El Hady stated that the earthquake recorded by the National Seismic Network in the early hours of Monday measured 5.5 on the Richter scale and occurred in the Gulf of Suez, a region that is geologically known for tectonic activity and active fault lines.
He explained that the earthquake resulted from movement along one of the area's active faults, noting that earthquakes occur when stress accumulates in rocks on either side of a fault before being suddenly released in the form of seismic waves.
Source: Official website of the National Media Authority.
