Magnitude-5.3 quake rocks Israel
Shaken residents note tremors in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba, among other cities; no injuries or damage were immediately reported
An earthquake was felt across Israel on Friday evening. No injuries or damage were immediately reported.
Residents said they felt tremors in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beersheba, Haifa, Emek Yizrael, Nahariya, Rehovot and Kiryat Gat among other cities around 9:50 pm. They lasted several seconds.
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The US Geological Survey initially reported the quake had a magnitude of 5.5, but according to the Geophysical Institute of Israel it measured 5.3 on the Richter scale. Quakes of such magnitude are considerate moderate.
The quake originated in the Cyprus region, at a depth of 19.8 kilometers (12.3 miles).
"I live in Kiryat Motzkin on the sixth floor. I felt the quake, which lasted a few seconds. I felt the chair I was sitting on move. It was really scary," Amy Shakedi told Ynet.
The tremor was most widely felt in the north, where residents reported leaving their homes as a precautionary measure.
"I was sitting on the couch when I felt the movement," a resident of Beit Shean said. "The furniture didn't move or anything, and there were no damage, but we felt it. We immediately went out on the street, and the neighbors did too."
A resident of the northern council of Misgav said: "I was sitting at home with my kids. Around 9:52 I felt the floor shaking under my feet. The glass displays started to clink. My six-year-old started to cry. I grabbed the kids and ran outside."
The last earthquake to hit Israel took place in April 2011, and had a magnitude of 5.9.
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