A 6.2. magnitude earthquake has hit the Madeira Islands in Portugal, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on Saturday.
Strong #earthquake (#terramoto) shakes Madeira Islands, Portugal Region 13 min ago. Map of eyewitnesses' felt reports: pic.twitter.com/iHGOlbxQpe
— EMSC (@LastQuake) March 7, 2020
There has been no further information provided so far concerning possible casualties or damage due to the earthquake.
Witnesses say that while the tremors have not been severe, they caused confusion among those who felt them.
Madeira update: just had an earthquake here. Didn't feel too bad, nothing broken or knocked over. Lasted about 6 seconds and was just very odd for a moment! Hotel reception now very busy with apparently concerned guests and lots of staff saying - "We don't know!".
— Maia Snow (@maiaksnow) March 7, 2020
The shake was also felt in Funchal.
My hotel confirmed that it was an earthquake. Unexpected and they don’t expect another one #earthquake #madeira
— Black Spice (@MissFBlackSpice) March 7, 2020
Earthquakes starting with a 6.0 magnitude are considered "strong", according to the Richter magnitude scale, and can cause moderate to strong damage to poor structures. They can be felt up to hundreds of kilometres (miles) away from the epicentre and cause strong shaking in the epicentre area.
