A significant seismic event measuring 5.3 disrupted Cyprus on Wednesday morning, sending tremors across the eastern Mediterranean basin while prompting temporary evacuations in the western Paphos region, though authorities confirmed no structural damage occurred.
Around 11:30 a.m., Cyprus residents felt the ground shaking, triggering island-wide evacuations as workers and students evacuated structures, local media reported, with residents of Haifa and other parts of northern Israel also reporting their homes shaking. The initial tremor generated six additional seismic events while telecommunications infrastructure encountered temporary operational failures. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre positioned the epicenter 31 miles (50 kilometers) west of Limassol and 11 miles (18 kilometers) north of Paphos at a depth of 13.2 miles (21.2 kilometers), though the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens measured the magnitude at 5.1, local media noted.
The subsequent tremors occurred within minutes, measuring 3.5, 3.6, 4.7, 2.3, 2.5 and 3.9, with communications networks experiencing immediate technical difficulties, local media stated. Thousands of employees relocated to open areas for safety, while educational facilities directed students to gather in courtyards under instructor supervision.
Larnaca's urban center and coastal areas registered the most intense activity, where the prolonged duration generated particular anxiety among high-rise occupants, local media reported. Despite significant concern, authorities confirmed zero structural damage or casualties. Apartment residents and office workers temporarily departed buildings while awaiting official information.
The tremor extended to Famagusta coastal zones and Paralimni, local media noted. Famagusta district police similarly verified the absence of injuries or property damage across affected regions.
Cyprus's Geological Surveys Department documented the earthquake's occurrence at 11:32 a.m. local time (9:32 a.m. GMT), positioning the epicenter 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) northeast of Paphos on the island's western coast, with the event originating 15 kilometers (10 miles) beneath the surface, according to The Independent. State television verified temporary evacuations took place at public facilities throughout the Paphos district immediately after the tremor struck, The Independent noted.
The island's position within an earthquake-prone zone rarely produces substantial structural destruction from such seismic events, The Independent reported. Alerts from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre validated the earthquake's impact spreading into Lebanese regions, according to The Independent.
