Quake Causes Panic, Damages Homes in Eastern Algeria

Arab World

August 7th, 5:33pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed from 7pm-7am to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Algiers, Algeria March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit eastern Algeria on Friday, toppling three houses, damaging others and sending panicked people rushing into the streets but there were no reports of casualties, the civil protection service said. The quake, which was followed by a 4.5 aftershock, hit Mila province, some 350 km east of the capital Algiers, Reuters reported. Three homes, including a four-story villa completely collapsed while 31 other apartments partially collapsed, civil protection said. The quake also caused cracks in other homes and a road had to be closed as a result of the damage, Reuters quoted it as saying. In 2003, an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 hit the capital and nearby areas, killing 2,000 people.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2435551/quake-causes-panic-damages-homes-eastern-algeria