Strong earthquake strikes Tebessa province in eastern Algeria

SadaNews - A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale struck Tebessa province in eastern Algeria last night, near the border with Tunisia.

 

The Algerian Research Center in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Geophysics clarified that the epicenter of the quake was located 10 kilometers southeast of the town of Négrin, and its effects extended to the western regions of Tunisia.

Minutes after the first quake, an aftershock measuring 4.7 was recorded in the area. The Civil Defense Agency confirmed that no human or material losses were reported during the initial survey.

It is noteworthy that earthquakes are not new to Algeria; a 3.2 magnitude tremor was recorded last week in Laghouat province in the south of the country. In 2022, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck areas in Oran in the northwest of Algeria, and in 2020, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit Mila and nearby cities, all without reporting human losses.

The northern regions of the country are within the zone of seismic activity, having witnessed the last devastating quake in May 2003 in Boumerdes province east of the capital Algiers, measuring 7.0, resulting in more than two thousand fatalities and significant material losses.