(Damascus) An earthquake shook central Syria on Monday night, local authorities said, without causing major damage but rattling the nerves of residents who remember last year’s devastating quake that struck the north of the country and its neighbor Turkey.
The Syrian National Earthquake Center said a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck 28 kilometers east of the city of Hama at 11:56 p.m. local time. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 5.0 and said it had a depth of 10 kilometers.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. Local authorities in Hama and surrounding government-held areas reported no damage, Syria’s official news agency SANA said.
In the opposition-held northwest of the country, the local civil defense agency known as the White Helmets also confirmed there was no damage.
In Damascus and Beirut, the capital of neighboring Lebanon, where the earthquake was also felt, residents took to the streets, fearing a stronger quake that would cause buildings to collapse.
In Lebanon, nerves were already on edge over fears that the ongoing conflict between the militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces could escalate, potentially drawing the country into open war.
On February 6, 2023, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Syria and Turkey, killing more than 59,000 people and adding to the devastation in an already war-torn Syria.