Earthquake Hits South Lebanon

A moderate earthquake was felt in south Lebanon at dawn Tuesday, shaking people out of bed and sending many panic-stricken residents into the streets.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake which struck at 2:20 a.m. (00:20 GMT) and measured 4.0 on the open-ended Richter scale, Moueen Hamze, head of Lebanon”s National Center for Scientific Research, told Agence France Presse.

 

“The epicenter of the quake was six kilometers east of (the port city of) Tyre,” Hamze said.

 

The Geophysical Institute of Israel measured the tremor at 4.1 and said it was also felt in northern Israel, across the border from Lebanon. No casualties or damage were reported in the Jewish state.

 

Seismology experts in Israel warn of a major earthquake within years because of a major fault line in the region.