An earthquake measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale recorded this Saturday near Pampilhosa da Serra (Coimbra) was described “like a bomb” and caused “panic and fuss,” a source from the Portuguese Sea and Atmospheric Institute told Lusa.
According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the quake was recorded at 7:51 am and the epicenter was about 20 km east-northeast of Pampilhosa da Serra.
“Now we have reports of people who felt the earthquake, it caused fear and fuss and it was described to us as if it was a bomb. However, they did not report personal or material damage, but only fear,” the source explained.
Until 10:38 a.m., “no replicas were registered,” he said, explaining that “we don’t expect them to exist.”
According to IPMA, this earthquake with maximum intensity III/IV (modified Mercalli scale) was felt in the municipalities of Covilhã (Castelo Branco), Oliveira do Hospital, Pampilhosa da Serra and Vila Nova de Puares (Coimbra) and with less intensity in the municipality of Tondela (Viseu).