Residents in the resort city of Eilat in southern Israel felt a strong earthquake on Wednesday just before noon, immediately followed by the Home Front Command alerts to find open spaces. No injuries were reported in the immediate aftermath as Sinai epicenter rattles communities north of the resort town and along the Red Sea coast. A Home Front alert was activated in several areas of southern Israel with residents told to go to open areas. Hotel guests received alerts on their cellphones and moved outside.
Video: Travelers at the Ramon Airport near Eilat / Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27a
Authorities briefly halted flights at the nearby Ramon Airport about 10 miles north of the city as a precaution, with preliminary data showing the 4.5-strong quake's epicenter was about 18 miles south of Eilat and the Egyptian border town of Taba in Sinai, at a depth of 8 km (4.9 miles). It was felt in Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well.
People at Ramon Airport told Israel Hayom, "They evacuated everyone from the airport, took people off buses and halted activity at the airport. We felt the earthquake." They added, "We felt the earthquake first, and only then did the alert come. We were sitting on a bench at the terminal and felt the bench shaking. We thought it was the planes taking off." The travelers were told to leave the departure hall in order to find an area not affected by potentially falling debris.
This was the first time the Home Front Command activates an alert in Eilat over an earthquake, and at least four tremors were felt, each lasting a few seconds. No falling objects or damage to buildings were reported. Vacationers at hotels also received an alert on their cell phones and went out to an open area in accordance with the guidelines.
Shirley Fahima, another traveller, told Israel Hayom, "We felt an earthquake while we were at the airport, and we saw the floor move and the chair move. We also saw the water in the bottle sloshing from side to side. We went down the stairs to an open area as soon as the alert came."
