State services caution against panic following Paphos quake
By Iole Damaskinos and Jonathan Shkurko

An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale struck the Paphos sea area overnight, according to announcements on Wednesday.

Residents reported they felt tremors in low-lying Paphos communities from Chlorakas to Kato Arodes, and as far as Limassol.

The tremors lasted long enough for some residents to be alarmed enough to get out of their houses and into the street.

The Paphos fire services were called out to rescue one woman who in her panic locked herself in a room of her residence, the CyBC reported.

No damages or injuries have been reported to date, according to Civil Defence spokesperson Panayiotis Liasides.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), he said that the Nicosia control centre, which operates round the clock, “immediately contacted local authorities and police departments across the island”.

“Fortunately, no incidents were reported anywhere,” he said.

Liasides further stressed the importance of remaining calm in similar situations, adding that panic can lead to further issues.

He advised the public to visit the Civil Defence website for self-protection guidelines.

“Most importantly, people should stay in a safe place during a tremor, for example under a sturdy piece of furniture,” he said.

Liasides also warned against using elevators during an earthquake, due to the potential risk of power outages.

“When outdoors, people should avoid standing near power lines or tall trees,” he said, adding that the Civil Defence’s ‘Engelados plan’, a state emergency plan that involves all government services, was activated following the earthquake.

He finally underlined the importance of following self-protection and preventive measures, such as securing heavy objects at home, removing hazardous items, and ensuring that exit doors are unobstructed to allow easy evacuation in the event of a tremor.

Revised information from the Geological Survey Department states that the earthquake occurred at 12.30am, with a focal depth of 13 kilometers, 18 kilometers southwest of the city of Paphos, and 72 kilometers west of Limassol.

In addition, following the earthquake, the Geological Survey department recorded two aftershocks, according to its director Christodoulos Hadjigeorgiou, who said that the tremor “falls within the normal seismic activity of Cyprus”.

“Over the past thirty years, eight earthquakes ranging between 4.5 and 5.2 on the Richter scale have been recorded in this region,” he said, adding that the latest quake’s epicentre is located where the Cyprus Arc meets the transform fault, extending from south of Paphos to the northern coasts west of Polis Chrysochous.

A transform fault is a rock fracture along a plate boundary where the motion is predominantly horizontal, ending abruptly when connecting to another plate boundary, either another transform fault or a spreading ridge.

Like Liasides, Hadjigeorgiou urged people to be aware of the safety measures to take during an earthquake and to seek information from the Civil Defence.

“In the event of a stronger earthquake, the priority should be self-protection,” he said. “If we save ourselves, we can help others. There is never enough time for anything else and reactions must be immediate.”

The phenomenon is being monitored by the seismological centre and detailed information is published on the department’s websites  at www.gsd seismology.org.cy  and  http://www. moa.gov.cy/gsd  and on its platform X account at  @CY_earthquakes .