A powerful earthquake has hit the popular tourist island of Madeira, part of Portugal, on Wednesday, with terrified people telling of waking up to find their buildings shaking
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A powerful earthquake of 5.1 magnitude earthquake has struck the popular tourist islands of Madeira on Wednesday, said the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC).
The quake was at a depth of 30 km (18.64 miles), EMSC said and struck near Funchal, on Madeira, part of Portugal.
Many people have reported the terrifying experience of rooms rocking due to the force of the earthquake.
One person tweeted: “I was in my bed and damn it… it was scary. The bed shook all over.
“What’s going on man? …. There was just an earthquake here on my Island – Madeira. And it was very strong. I’m scared!!!!”
Others similarly wrote about how they were woken up by buildings rocking.
“Woke up, shake the bed and shake the door while closed,” said another.
A local resident said: “Quite strong for what we usually feel in Madeira. It certainly woke us up.”
One person said: “Woke us up, lasted about 10secs, not too strong but still quite intense.”
There has been an increase in seismic activity on Madeira, famously where Cristiano Ronaldo is from.
Local politicians have called for better infrastructure to be put in place for the earthquakes that can cause severe damage to weakened buildings.
Volcanodiscovery.com stated: “Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.
“The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.”
It added: “Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.”
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