Once again, the Egyptian ground is shifting beneath our feet. Tonight, the instruments recorded a magnitude 6.4 quake off the northwest coast, and frankly, I wonder if we are truly understanding what is happening in our territory.

The numbers of the quake are these: magnitude 6.4, epicenter 631 km from Rosetta in the Mediterranean, at a depth of 76 km. Technically, such a considerable depth reduces surface damage. No damage has been recorded so far, but does this really reassure us?

This is where I start to worry. In 2024, we felt several tremors coming from Turkey and Cyprus. Now an Egyptian earthquake of this magnitude. I wonder if we are witnessing abnormal seismic activity throughout the Mediterranean region, or if it’s just a coincidence. Looking at history, the 1992 earthquake had a magnitude of 5.8 and caused hundreds of casualties. What would happen if a similar event struck closer to Cairo, or worse, if it exceeded 6 in magnitude?

There’s one fact that worries me even more than the numbers: 70% of buildings in Egyptian informal areas are not built to withstand earthquakes. Have we learned lessons from the past? It doesn’t seem so.

There are things that perhaps not everyone knows about the Egyptian earthquake. Egypt is located at the boundary of the African plate, making it vulnerable to tremors from both the Mediterranean and the Suez Gulf. Deep quakes like today’s are less dangerous than shallow ones that can level entire cities. But here’s the real problem: we don’t have an early warning system for earthquakes. Nothing.

The earth is speaking. The question is: are we listening? What do you think about the government’s preparations? Did you feel the tremor?