JERUSALEM (JTA) — An earthquake reported to be between 5.1 and 5.5 magnitude was felt in southern Israel.
No damage or injuries were reported in the quake that struck Saturday afternoon. The epicenter reportedly was in the Sinai Peninsula.
The temblor was felt in Eilat, Beersheba and Ashdod in the South, as well as in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, among other Israeli cities, according to reports. Cairo, the Egyptian capital, reportedly felt it strongly.
Last October, five earthquakes of lesser magnitude were felt in northern Israel’s Upper Galilee. At the time, instructions on earthquake preparedness were updated and publicized to Israelis on the order of the prime minister and earthquake drills were held in Israeli schools.
Hundreds of people died and were injured in a 6.2 magnitude quake in 1927 that centered on the Dead Sea.
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