Daijiworld Media Network - Cairo

Cairo, Aug 3: A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh early on Monday, prompting Egyptian authorities to activate emergency response measures, though no casualties or property damage were reported.

According to Egypt's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, the earthquake occurred at around 3 a.m. local time at a depth of 10 km. The epicentre was located at 30.19 degrees north latitude and 32.61 degrees east longitude.

The institute said the tremor was felt by residents in several areas, including Cairo, but there were no reports of loss of life or damage to property.

Following the quake, Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar ordered the immediate activation of the country's health emergency plan and convened the ministry's central crisis and emergency operations room.

The Health Ministry raised the alert level at emergency and critical-care departments in hospitals nationwide and confirmed that ambulances and rapid-response teams had been placed on standby. It later said the health situation remained stable and no earthquake-related injuries had been reported.

The Egyptian Red Crescent also activated its emergency response plan in affected cities and said it had not received any reports of casualties or property damage.

Egypt is located near active tectonic zones around the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, making it vulnerable to occasional moderate earthquakes. Northern parts of the country can also experience seismic activity originating in the Mediterranean region, where the African Plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate.