Magnitude 4.9 Quake Shakes Algeria’s Chlef Region

A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck Algeria’s Chlef region early today, marking the strongest seismic activity recorded in the country this year.

Doha – A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck Algeria’s Chlef region early today, marking the strongest seismic activity recorded in the country this year.

The tremor occurred at 1:09 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located 3 kilometers north of Zeboudja, a commune of 23,000 inhabitants situated 233 kilometers west of Algiers.

According to the Research Center in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics (CRAAG), while the earthquake was considered of moderate intensity, no casualties or major material damage were reported.

The Civil Protection units, which were immediately deployed to inspect and assess the situation, confirmed that no interventions were required in the 40 minutes following the seismic event.

The tremor caused buildings to shake and minor cracks in older, more vulnerable structures throughout the region. Chlef’s location along the boundary of the African tectonic plate, which collides with the Eurasian plate, makes it particularly susceptible to seismic activity.

This latest earthquake follows a series of seismic events in Algeria during 2024, with nine earthquakes exceeding magnitude 4.0 recorded across different regions:

– January 13: Relizane (4.3 magnitude)

– February 14: Mascara (4.5 magnitude)

– March 9: M’sila (4.3 magnitude)

– April 20: M’sila (4.2 magnitude)

– June 25: Jijel (4.0 magnitude)

– August 3: Médéa (4.2 magnitude)

– October 10: Tizi-Ouzou (4.3 magnitude)

– December 10: Tipaza (4.0 magnitude)

– December 16: Chlef (4.9 magnitude)

The Chlef region has a significant historical record of seismic activity. The area, formerly known as El Asnam, experienced one of Algeria’s most devastating earthquakes on October 10, 1980, when a 7.3 magnitude tremor resulted in 2,600 deaths, 9,000 injuries, and left 400,000 people homeless, nearly destroying the entire city.

While the region continues to experience regular seismic activity, the majority of recent tremors have been of weak to moderate intensity, with no reported casualties in 2024.