Mild earthquake strikes Eilat; no damage reported

Eilat residents were slightly unsettled Saturday afternoon as a mild earthquake shook the southern city’s streets and buildings. There were no reports of injury or serious damage.

According to the seismology department at the Geophysical Institute of Israel, the earthquake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale. The seismology department further determined that the earthquake’s epicenter was about 200 kilometers south of Eilat, in the Red Sea’s Suez gulf.

The earthquake also struck northern regions in Egypt, including the capital Cairo. According to state media reports, it was not immediately known whether any damage was caused to buildings or if there were any casualties.

Geological experts explained that Saturday’s earthquake was caused by tectonic shifts in the earth’s crust beneath the Red Sea, a common occurrence in the area.