Full Breakdown
Suez Region Shaken by 5.6-Magnitude Earthquake, No Casualties Reported
8/4/2026, 4:38:28 AM
Core Event
On August 3, just after 3:00 a.m. local time (00:00 GMT), a shallow seismic rupture occurred 38 km (24 mi) north of the Egyptian port city of Suez. Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) recorded a magnitude of 5.6 on the Richter scale, while the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) measured the event at 5.4. Both agencies reported a focal depth of 10 km (6 mi). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also noted a magnitude of 5.0, and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) listed a magnitude of 5.3. No immediate reports of injuries or property damage were received.
Background & Context
Egypt’s modern seismic history includes the October 12, 1992 earthquake, which struck Cairo with a magnitude of 5.8 and caused more than 540 deaths. That event remains the deadliest in the country’s recent record, underscoring the rarity of damaging quakes in the northeast African region.
Data & Statistics
- Magnitude readings: NRIAG 5.6; GFZ 5.4; USGS 5.0; EMSC 5.3.
- Depth: Consistently reported at 10 km by NRIAG, GFZ, and the Jordanian Seismological Observatory.
- Epicenter location: NRIAG placed the epicenter 38 km north of Suez; the SANA report gave coordinates 30.3212°N, 32.6791°E, about 41 km north of Suez and 111 km southeast of Port Said.
- Geographic reach: The tremor was felt across multiple Egyptian governorates, including Greater Cairo, the Nile Delta, Alexandria, and Port Said, extending up to 400 km from the epicenter (Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre). Reports also indicated perceptible shaking in southern Israel, the Dead Sea region, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, and Lebanon.
- Casualties & damage: All agencies and the Egyptian Red Crescent confirmed no injuries or material losses at the time of reporting.
Official Statements & Responses
The Egyptian Red Crescent activated its emergency response plan in the governorates where shaking was reported, urging residents to avoid buildings showing visible cracks and to follow official updates. The organization emphasized that rescue teams remained on standby while structural inspections continued.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health, represented by Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, ordered the activation of the national health emergency plan and instructed ambulance services to be prepared for any potential aftershocks.
Civil-engineering expert Dr. Dagan Bekon-Mazor, head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the Sami Shimon Academic College of Engineering, highlighted the need for heightened alertness, noting that “turning on a red alert” can significantly reduce casualties and property damage in future tremors.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Magnitude discrepancy: Sources differ by up to 0.6 magnitude points (5.0–5.6). NRIAG’s higher reading contrasts with GFZ’s lower measurement, while USGS and EMSC provide intermediate values.
- Epicenter distance: Reports vary between 38 km, 41 km, and a description of the epicenter as 61 km northeast of Sharm El Sheikh, indicating uncertainty about the precise location.
- Intensity mapping: The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre’s intensity map shows shaking across a broader area than some national reports, suggesting possible gaps in real-time reporting from peripheral regions.
No additional official investigations or after-shock forecasts have been announced, and authorities continue to monitor the situation.
