5.4-magnitude earthquake in Syria felt in Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon

Residents in Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon felt a noticeable earthquake during the early hours of Tuesday, following a significant quake that struck Syria.

According to the Jordanian Seismological Observatory, the earthquake, which hit northern Syria with a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale, occurred at 11:55 PM local time at a depth of 10 kilometers. The tremor was felt by residents across Jordan.

Earlier, a smaller quake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale was recorded in northern Syria at 9:30 PM Monday, local time in Amman. This was in the same region where the larger quake occurred later that evening, the observatory reported.

The epicenter of the earthquake was near Hama, Syria, where the tremor registered 5.4 on the Richter scale. Our correspondent in Damascus reported that the quake was felt across most Syrian provinces, with the strongest effects in Homs, Damascus, and its surrounding areas, including Hama.

The Syrian Seismological Center recorded the tremor as having a magnitude of 5.5, occurring east of Hama at 11:56 PM. The center's director, Raed Ahmad, suggested that this tremor could potentially be a precursor to a stronger quake in the near future.