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Rabat – An earthquake with 5.8 magnitude shook the northern coast of Algeria on March 18 at approximately 1:00 am. The quake hit at a depth of 10 km near Bejaia, Algeria, and was felt as far away as the capital Algiers.
Two aftershocks of magnitude 5.2 and 4.7 followed the quake. According to experts in seismology on volcano discovery “shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.”
Different seismology centers released reports on the magnitude of the earthquake in Algeria. Their results varied between 5.7 and 6.0. An earthquake of this magnitude is usually felt by everyone near the epicenter.
Authorities recorded light to moderate damage in Bejaia, a city with a population of 164,000 inhabitants, located 21 km away from the epicenter.
The quake was also reportedly felt as a light shake in El-Kseur and Colmar, both located 40 km from the epicenter, Barbacha 44 km away, and several other cities.
The earthquake sowed panic among citizens. Thankfully, there are no reports so far of serious injuries or severe casualties. Authorities in Algeria reported that the earthquake caused “a partial collapse of three uninhabited buildings” in Bejaia.
“Five people had fractures or sprains as a result of the panic. One of them jumped from the first floor and was hospitalized,” reported authorities in Jijel.
Citizens have shared, on social media platforms, pictures and videos of crumbling walls following the earthquake in Algeria.
The Algerian Center for Research in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Geophysics (CRAAG) recorded the first shake of a four degree magnitude on Wednesday, March 17.
The latest earthquake in Algeria took place in December 2020 in Tizi Ouzou. It was at a 4.0 magnitude and a depth of 10 km.
