Earthquake of magnitude 6.6 off Cyprus coast felt in Egypt

No reports of damage or casualties in Egypt, which was last hit by a major earthquake in 1992

An aerial view of Banha, north of Egypt's capital Cairo. An earthquake was felt in areas north of Cairo on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

An earthquake of 6.6 magnitude hit the Eastern Mediterranean region near the southwestern coast of Cyprus on Tuesday and was felt all the way south in Egypt.

The tremor was registered 415 kilometres north of Damietta on the Mediterranean coast north of Cairo, Egypt's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics said.

A resident in Cyprus told The National that a “minor tremor” was felt in the capital Nicosia.

In Egypt, the earthquake was felt in areas north of the capital Cairo.

There were no reports of damage or casualties.

Egypt was last hit by a damaging earthquake in 1992, when the 5.8 magnitude tremor killed more than 500 and injured 6,500. At least 50,000 people were left homeless by the earthquake, whose epicentre was near Cairo.