Tsunami alert: Egypt’s geophysics body weighs in on possibility after Turkey quake

Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) ruled out the possibility of the country being hit by a tsunami after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, killing hundreds of people.

At least 4,365 people have died in Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the quake that is considered the strongest to hit the region in nearly a century.

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The death toll is expected to keep rising as rescue teams in both countries continue to dig through the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Powerful tremors were also felt in Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, and several other neighboring countries.

NRIAG’s Chairman Gad el-Qadi said that an initial tsunami warning had been issued for the eastern Mediterranean Sea region – including Egypt’s coastal areas – but it was withdrawn after research indicated that it was unlikely to occur.

Italy’s Civil Protection Department had issued a statement early Monday recommending people to move away from coastal areas but later reduced the alert and tweeted that it had been withdrawn.

Egyptian land is stable, and people should not panic about the possibility of a tsunami, el-Qadi said at a press conference on Monday.

Hours after the first initial earthquake and multiple tremors, another quake struck southeast Turkey at 1:24 p.m. local time with a magnitude of 7.5, according to US Geological Survey.

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