An earthquake measuring around 4.7 hit the southern region of Sweden last week, causing little damage but rattling the nerves of thousands of people. Seismologists estimate the epicentre of the quake was 18kms beneath the surface of the earth just outside of Malmo’s Sturup Airport.
Speaking to The Local newspaper, Helsingborg resident John O’Leary said “the bed shook for about 20 seconds.” It happened at 6:20 in the morning and was strong enough to knock several things over in his apartment.
Uppsala University seismologist Reynir Bodvarsson told the TT news agency that “it was likely felt in much of southern Sweden. For Sweden, this is a very strong quake.” If the quake had a magnitude of 4.7, it would be the biggest earthquake to strike Sweden in more than a century. The last major quake in Sweden was in 1904, hitting 6.0 on the Richter scale.
Residents of Malmo and Skane felt the tremors the most, reporting that many of the city’s buildings were visibly shaking. Just east of Skane, in the town of Blekinge, locals said the ground itself was rolling beneath them. The quake was strong enough that it was even felt as far away as Copenhagen and parts of northern Sjalland in Denmark.