Scores of aftershocks in Azores after 5.3 earthquake

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40 aftershocks rattle islands of São Miguel, Santa Maria and Terceira

Around 40 aftershocks have been recorded following yesterday’s 5.3 early morning earthquake in the Eastern Azores Fracture Zone, off São Miguel island.

According to CIVISA, the archipelagos seismic information and surveillance centre, this is “natural in this type of situation”.

Talking yesterday early evening, CIVISA’s president Gabriela Queiroz told Lusa “we have around 38/39 aftershocks, of which we have noted that three more have been felt”.

“Bearing in mind the epicentral area, there have been similar situations in the past in which, after a stronger earthquake, there are a series of aftershocks that tend to diminish over time, but naturally we can’t exclude the existence of earthquakes that can be felt again by the population,” she admitted.

Asked about the damage caused on São Miguel by the strongest tremor, which hit at 07:14 local time, the CIVISA official said there had been cases of walls and old roofs falling, but did not elaborate.

“We even sent a team to the field to check the consequences of the earthquake, even in our area, but what I can tell you is that there were no [other situations], apart from a few loose stone walls that fell, [and] one or two roofs of old houses, but very fragile things in themselves,” she said.

Given that the Azores archipelago has “a complex geodynamic situation” and is “seismically active,” Queiroz pointed out that the inhabitants must take “the normal precautions, which are also transmitted by the region’s civil protection services, to guard against eventualities.”