Earthquake of magnitude 5.2 strikes Madeira Islands in Portugal, no injuries: EMSC

People stand outside a commercial centre after an earthquake in Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira on March 7, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS

LISBON (REUTERS) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 struck the Madeira Islands, an autonomous region of Portugal and popular holiday spot, on Saturday evening (March 7), the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

No injuries have been reported and no infrastructure or housing was damaged, according to the national civil protection authority.

The quake had a depth of 5km, according to EMSC.

It hit 40km south-east of the Deserta Grande Islands, the national civil protection authority said.

Madeira, an archipelago of four islands off the north-west coast of Africa, is home to just under 270,000 people and is visited by a million tourists each year.

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