Quake gives Cyprus a little shake

An earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale struck just east of Larnaca on Tuesday, with mixed “felt it” reports from various areas.

According to online sources, the earthquake struck Tuesday afternoon around 6pm, some 20 kilometres east of Larnaca. The epicenter of the quake was registered as 35.09 N, 33.92 E while the depth was calculated at 8 km.

Various “felt it” reports appeared online while no reports of any damages were reported.

Weak or light shaking was reported from areas in Paralimini and Ayia Napa, while a “slight tremor” was felt as far away as Xylotymbou according to online sources.

In one case, a report from guests staying at an Ayia Napa hotel said that “the hotel literally shook at 5:55pm” while another report nearby said shaking was intense on the second floor and “totally felt it.”

“Mild shockwaves for no more than three or four seconds, similar to driving over a rumble strip on a motorway,” said another person some 5 kilometres from the epicenter. 

Mixed reports came in from areas north of the epicenter, with one person just south of Varosha ghost-town saying they did not feel the earthquake at all while another report northeast of the epicenter said suitcases had tipped over. 

The quake was generally not felt at all further out west of the affected area, including Limassol, while one report indicated “just a little shake” some 90 kilometres southwest of the epicenter.