Minor quake shakes Larnaca

A 2.5 magnitude earthquake on Monday shook Larnaca, but there was no structural damage or injuries, reported the Cyprus Seismological Centre.

The mild earthquake was felt in Larnaca on Monday at 1.03 pm, the geological survey department said in an announcement, confirming earlier reports by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

According to the local seismological authority, the quake’s epicentre was some 10 km northwest of Larnaca at a land depth of 15 km.

A Larnaca resident commented on the EMSC post that he felt “a strange loud noise for three seconds but couldn’t feel the tremor.”

It was felt in Larnaca but not further afield.

The seismological centre said it was following activity: http://www.gsd seismology.org.cy/en/events/75962/summary.

The last big earthquake that shook Cyprus was in January 2022, measuring 6.1 magnitude, one of the strongest quakes ever recorded.

It was the biggest earthquake to rattle 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.

Cypriot authorities have repeatedly urged people to remain calm but vigilant, as the island is in a seismic zone where earthquakes are possible at any time.

Cyprus is situated in a secondary earthquake-prone zone.

Earthquake Magnitude Scale

2.5 or less
2.5 to 5.4	Often felt, but only causes minor damage.
5.5 to 6.0	Slight damage to buildings and other structures.
6.1 to 6.9	It may cause a lot of damage in very populated areas.
7.0 to 7.9	Major earthquake. Serious damage.
8.0 or greater	Great earthquake. It can destroy communities near the epicentre.