Portugal Earthquake: Lisbon and Coastal Areas Shaken by 5.3 Quake

In the early hours of Monday, Portugal experienced its strongest earthquake in over a decade. The tremor, initially reported as 5.4 magnitude by international agencies and later revised to 5.3 by Portugal’s Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA), struck at 5:11 am local time.

The epicenter was located 58 km west of Sines, off the coast, at a depth of 21 km. Tremors were felt most intensely in Sines, Lisbon, and Setúbal, with reports coming in from as far as Porto and even parts of Spain and Morocco.

Commander José Miranda of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) reported a flood of calls from concerned citizens. However, no major damage or casualties were reported, with only minor incidents like potential building cracks in Sesimbra being assessed.

The Portuguese government swiftly issued a statement assuring the public of their coordinated response and urging calm. The quake’s magnitude was not sufficient to trigger tsunami concerns for the US East Coast or Europe.

Eyewitness accounts paint a vivid picture of the event. Keira McCann, a ground floor resident, described the building shaking and her dogs panicking. Vera Fassbender, on the 8th floor in Lisbon, felt a light but noticeable shake lasting 3-5 seconds. Even in Casablanca, Morocco, residents like Rimah Oubella experienced the tremor.

While Portugal experiences frequent minor earthquakes, this event stands out as the strongest since 2009’s 5.6 magnitude quake. The country’s location near the boundary of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates makes it prone to seismic activity, particularly in the southern region and the Azores.

This incident serves as a reminder of Portugal’s seismic history, including the catastrophic 1755 Great Lisbon earthquake, which claimed at least 50,000 lives across Portugal and Morocco.

As the country assesses the impact of this latest tremor, it reinforces the importance of earthquake preparedness and swift emergency response in seismically active regions.

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