“The whole building was shaking,” a Portuguese influencer said in a video just minutes after the earthquake
An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale rocked the Portuguese capital of Lisbon and nearby areas this Monday afternoon.
With an epicentre around 14 kilometres southwest of Seixal, on the south bank of the Tagus (Tejo) River, the earthquake was recorded at 1.24pm and was “felt,” said the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA), particularly in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
The institute added that a new communiqué with up-to-date information and macroseismic data should be issued “soon”.
Initially, the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre indicated that the quake had a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richter scale.
In a warning message to the public, sent at 1.55 pm, the national emergency and civil protection authority (ANEPC) announced that “the national meteorological institute confirmed an earthquake at 1.24pm. with an epicentre in the sea, near Fonte da Telha [on the Setúbal Peninsula], with an estimated magnitude of 4.7” on the Richter scale.
“No damage has been reported so far. Stay calm and keep an eye out for possible aftershocks. If justified, we will issue new information,” said ANEPC.
Many people have taken to social media to share what they thought when they felt the earthquake.
Portuguese influencer Ana Garcia Martins, also known as ‘A Pipoca Mais Doce’, reported a “mega earthquake”. “Things fell here… The whole building was shaking. My heart is racing,” she shared in a video posted just a few minutes after the earthquake.
Portuguese actress Sofia Arruda described a “very strange” experience feeling the earthquake in her home. “The worst part is that I did not have a reaction. I remained seated as I had lunch. The water in the coffee machine seemed like it was possessed,” the actress said in an Instagram story.
“I couldn’t move, I was glued to the ground. I didn’t go outside, nothing, I remained seated,” she added.
Bruno Lage, head coach of Benfica, was also asked about his reaction to the earthquake at a pre-game press conference ahead of the club’s Tuesday Champions League match against Monaco.
“I was walking down the stairs and a glass door started shaking, so I told Lemos (press officer) that we have to fix the door. Only when I arrived here did I realise what happened,” Lage told reporters.
Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas is scheduled to address the media at 4pm, providing an official assessment of the situation. His press conference was initially planned for 4.30pm but was moved forward.
