The earthquake felt by residents of Greater Cairo and several other governorates today brought back memories of the October 12, 1992 earthquake, according to Egyptian media.
This comparison was made after preliminary data showed that the tremor measured between 5.7 and 5.9 on the Richter scale, a magnitude very close to the 1992 earthquake, which measured 5.8.
Despite the similarity in measurement, the results were completely different; so far there have been no reports of human losses or serious damage as a result of today's tremor, while the 1992 earthquake left one of the worst natural disasters in the history of modern Egypt.
The 1992 earthquake occurred at 3:09 PM, lasted about 30 seconds, and its epicenter was near Dahshur, southwest of Cairo. It resulted in the death of 545 people and the injury of 6,512 others, in addition to the displacement of about 50,000 citizens, the complete collapse of 350 buildings, and damage to more than 9,000 buildings, as well as severe damage to hundreds of schools and mosques.
Earthquake experts confirm that the similarity in the strength of the two earthquakes does not necessarily mean the similarity in the impact, as the extent of the damage depends on several factors, most notably the location and depth of the earthquake's epicenter, the nature of the soil, the density of buildings, and the extent of their compliance with construction standards. This explains the large difference between today's tremor and the 1992 earthquake, despite the similarity in measurement on the Richter scale.
