Small earthquake felt in Dordogne
With a magnitude of 2.5, it did not cause any known damage or injuries
An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.5 was felt in the Dordogne on October 10
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An earthquake was felt in the Dordogne early yesterday morning (Tuesday October 10) with a loud bang and vibrations reported by some residents. No one is believed hurt or any damage caused.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 2.5 on the Richter Scale and the epicentre was 5 km deep, according to data from the French Central Seismological Bureau
The quake took place in Périgord Vert, in the communes of Saint-Front-la-Rivière and Milhac-de-Nontron.
“I was awake, but still in my bed, I thought something had fallen in the house. I looked at the time right away, it was 6:25,” Maurice Guinot, mayor of Saint-Front-la-Rivière told France Bleu Périgord.
Previous earthquakes in the region
Earthquakes regularly happen in France, both on the mainland and in its overseas territories, data on the French government website géorisques shows.
Maurice Guinot remembers that about 30 years ago, there had already been an earthquake in the Dordogne area.
The last major earthquake in Nouvelle-Aquitaine was on June 16, 2023, which recorded between 5.3 and 5.8 on the Richter scale.
No one was badly hurt, however around 170 people were forced to leave their homes and a number of buildings were damaged.
Read more: Strong aftershock in western France after magnitude 5 earthquake
What is an earthquake?
An earthquake occurs when pressure that has built up along tectonic plate fault lines is released. This causes sudden movements, which in turn release energy in the form of seismic waves.
As a rule, the closer the earthquake is to the surface the more devastating it is, however this also depends on the intensity and magnitude of the event.
Earthquakes are the result of a highly unpredictable global phenomenon that depends very sensitively on an infinite number of parameters.
It is therefore not possible to predict if, when or where an earthquake will take place.
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What and where is the chance of a large earthquake in France?
June earthquake in France: Who is in official natural disaster zone?
Fresh details emerge about cost and impact of French earthquake
