Research center revises scale of Mideast earthquake from 5.4 to 4.8

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck Jordan and Syria late on Monday, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), with residents across both countries and in Lebanon feeling its impacts along with locals in northern Israel.

The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), GFZ says. It had earlier reported the magnitude at 5.46 but revised it down minutes later.

Syria’s state news agency says it had registered the earthquake’s epicenter near the Syrian city of Hama.

Residents across Syria felt the quake, with people in the northern Syrian city of Azaz saying they had immediate flashbacks to the deadly 2023 earthquake that killed thousands in northern Syria and neighboring Turkey.

The Syrian civil defense operating in opposition-held areas of the war-torn country said they had deployed to several areas to respond to any prospective emergency but had not received reports of any damage thus far.

Residents across Lebanon also felt the quake.