Paphos quake felt in Israel, Lebanon

A 4.7 magnitude earthquake shook Cyprus and was felt in Israel, Lebanon, and southern Turkey late Tuesday night, followed by several smaller aftershocks.

The Department of Geological Survey announced that on Tuesday at 22:11, an earthquake of magnitude M = 4.7 was centred in Paphos and felt across the island.

The epicentre was on land, 10 km southeast of Paphos, near the airport, at a focal depth of 20 km.

“It was strongly felt in the districts Paphos and Limassol and slightly felt in Nicosia, Kyrenia, Larnaca and Famagusta.

“It was also observed in Lebanon, Israel, and southern Turkey. Aftershocks are in progress, with a significant earthquake of 3.9 at 23:02,” the department said.

There was a tremor of 2.7 magnitude an hour before the larger quake.

Shaking was felt across Cyprus, but there were no reports of serious structural damages or people injured.

Earthquakes measuring from 3 to 3.9 on the Richter scale are considered minor, and while many people can feel them, they do not usually cause damage.

An earthquake from 4 to 4.9 on the scale is noticeable and can cause minor damage.

The last quake, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, shook Cyprus in early February. It was the third quake to be recorded in less than a month.

It was an aftershock of the first quake, which struck on 11 January, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale in the same Paphos area of Polis Chrysochous.

The 6.5 magnitude quake was one of Cyprus’ strongest quakes ever recorded.

It was the biggest earthquake to shake the island since a 6.5 on the Richter scale quake struck Paphos in October 1996, when two people died – the strongest in the previous 100 years.

Another tremor in the same location on 28 January measured 4.5.