A magnitude-2.6 earthquake rippled through Chuong My District on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam on Monday evening, with residents reporting significant tremors, according to the Institute of Geophysics.

The earthquake occurred at 7:52 pm, with the epicenter located approximately eight kilometers below the surface.

The institute, under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, classified the disaster risk level as zero.

Mai, a resident of My Thanh Commune in My Duc District, which borders Chuong My, said he was sitting at home when he felt the roof shake strongly, accompanied by a 3-5-second sound.

“At first, I thought there had been an explosion somewhere, but after checking online, I discovered it was an earthquake,” Mai shared.

The institute stated that it continues to monitor seismic activities in the region to provide timely information and ensure public safety.

Dr. Nguyen Xuan Anh, the institute director, underscored that the area where the earthquake occurred is within the fault zone of the Red, Lo, and Chay Rivers, which has experienced quakes in the past.

In Hanoi, a strong earthquake of magnitude-8 occurred in the 12th century, causing the Bao Thien Pagoda stele to break in two.

“The earthquake pattern caused by faults in this zone indicates that strong quakes typically occur once every several hundred years or roughly every 500-700 years,” said Dr. Anh.

He recommended conducting detailed studies of the Red River fault segments to assess earthquake risks more accurately.

He proposed installing monitoring equipment in high-rise buildings in Hanoi to evaluate the impact of earthquakes on structures.

Dr. Anh also called for the development of detailed earthquake hazard maps for Hanoi, incorporating recent seismic events, to inform construction practices and enhance earthquake resilience.

In Vietnam, earthquakes with a magnitude of 3 to 3.9 are considered minor, often felt by some people and causing slight shaking of objects but rarely resulting in damage, Dr. Anh said.

Quakes with a magnitude of 4 to 4.9 are classified as small, while those ranging from 5 to 5.9 are considered moderate, with the potential to cause minor to moderate damage.

A quake is categorized as strong when its magnitude reaches six.

Vietnam has recorded three significant earthquakes in its history, all occurring in Dien Bien Province in the north: in 1935, 1983, and 2001, with magnitudes of 6.9, 6.7, and 5.3, respectively, according to official statistics.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!