A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck Portugal’s popular tourist Algarve region on Sunday, though initial reports indicate no injuries or significant damage.
The country’s sea and atmosphere institute (IPMA) confirmed the tremor, which occurred at 7:59am and was felt in the cities of Lagos and Portimao. Its epicentre was located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 70 km off Cape St. Vincent.
Portugal, particularly the southern Lisbon region and the Azores archipelago, lies within a seismically active zone marking the boundary between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. Despite this, seismic activity has been relatively low in recent times.
The region has a history of significant seismic events. Lisbon was famously devastated by a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 1755, an event estimated to have killed between 30,000 and 40,000 people, making it one of the deadliest in European history. More recently, a 7.9 magnitude quake in 1969, also with an epicentre off Cape St. Vincent, claimed at least 13 lives and injured dozens.
