4.9 quake felt in Eilat
Photo: Danny Solomon
4.9-mag earthquake felt in Eilat region
At 2:52 pm Eilat residents reported feeling an earthquake, number of minutes afterwards US information center confirmed: 4.9 earthquake originating in Sinai registered in Eilat
Earthquake in Sinai and Eilat: An earthquake shook the southern resort town of Eilat Saturday afternoon.
Ynet received numerous emails from local citizens reporting a 10-second quake. No injures or damage have been reported.
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The Geophysical Institute of Israel has confirmed citizens' reports that a 10-second earthquake was felt in the Eilat region. The institute could not confirm the quake's magnitude.
However, the US-based National Earthquake Information Center has reported that the earthquake felt in Eilat registered a 4.9 on the Richter scale and that its epicenter was in the Sinai Peninsula.
At 14:52 Eilat residents sent Ynet emails reporting the quake. "I live on the third floor and I the couch moved," Dima wrote.
Igor Halif, 24, recalled: "I was at home, sitting in front of my computer, suddenly I felt the entire room moving. All the lamps began swinging back and forth. The quake felt serious. Everything moved. So me, my mom and my little sister got under the door frame."
In, December 2012 a 4.3 earthquake was also felt in Eilat and throughout the Arava. There were no injuries or damages reported and, at the time, the Geophysical Institute reported that the quake's epicenter was some 40 km (roughly 25 mile) north of Eilat.
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