Mainland Portugal and, in particular, the southern region woke up this Monday (August 26) to a seismic shock measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, at around 5:11 am. This was the strongest earthquake felt in Portugal since 1969.
According to the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA), the earthquake was recorded by the stations of the Rede Sísmica do Continente, with its epicenter being located about 60 km west of Sines.
According to RTP’s website, the epicenter was recorded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, at a depth of 10.7 kilometers. Other media outlets add that the earthquake was felt not only in Portugal, but also in Morocco, Gibraltar and Spain.
No damage & three replicas
Despite the scare, no casualties and/or material damage were reported. However, the responsible authorities received a high volume of calls reporting the situation.
However, it is also pertinent to report that, to date, three more aftershocks have been felt:
- The first of 1.2 on the Richter scale
- The second of 1.1
- And the third of 0.9
The biggest earthquake in Portugal since 1969
Despite not causing any victims or material damage, this Monday’s earthquake (August 26) was the strongest felt in Portugal since 1969. However, the results of this phenomenon were quite different, leaving 13 deaths to be regretted.
According to a article from “Sábado”, the earthquake 55 years ago registered a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale, with the epicenter located 180 km southwest of Sagres. At the time, the quake was also felt in Madeira, Spain, Morocco and France.
In the 1969 earthquake, in addition to the deaths, the earthquake also caused telecommunications and electricity supply cuts. This time, fortunately, the results are nothing like those of the 1960s.