A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck off Egypt’s eastern coast near the Gulf of Suez on Monday, sending tremors across parts of the country and prompting authorities to monitor the situation for possible aftershocks.
According to Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), the earthquake occurred offshore in the Gulf of Suez region at a moderate depth. The tremor was felt in several governorates, including Cairo, Suez, Ismailia and parts of the Red Sea coast.
There were no immediate reports of fatalities or significant damage, and Egyptian authorities said preliminary assessments indicated that infrastructure and public facilities had not been seriously affected.
Residents in several cities reported feeling buildings sway for a few seconds, with many briefly evacuating homes and offices as a precaution. Emergency services said they received numerous calls from concerned citizens but found no evidence of major structural damage.
The National Seismic Network continues to monitor seismic activity in the area and urged the public to rely on official information while remaining calm. Authorities also said they were watching for any aftershocks, although none posing an immediate threat had been reported.
The Gulf of Suez lies within one of Egypt’s most seismically active regions because of the interaction between the African and Arabian tectonic plates. While earthquakes are relatively common in the area, most are moderate in magnitude and rarely cause widespread destruction.
Egypt’s Civil Protection Authority said it remains on standby should additional seismic activity occur, while local authorities continue inspections of public infrastructure in the affected areas.
The earthquake serves as a reminder of the country’s exposure to occasional seismic events, although experts stressed that Monday’s tremor was within the range of earthquakes typically experienced in the Gulf of Suez region.
