A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Mediterranean between Morocco and Spain on Monday, causing cracks on some high buildings in the area and forcing schools in the region to close as a precautionary measure, according to The Telegraph.
The U.S. Geological Survey stated that the earthquake struck the area at about 4:22 a.m. local time, about 62 kilometers north of the city of Al Hoceima, which is located 163 kilometers east-southeast of Gibraltar.
Aftershocks, which were measured at 5.3 on the Richter Scale, followed the initial tremors. With the epicenter being quite shallow, the U.S.G.S. has stated that there is a very "low likelihood of casualties and damage," reports Africa News.
In the Spanish enclave of Melilla bordering Morocco, the tremors were prominently felt, though authorities in the area have reported no severe damages. Isidro Gonzalez, a Melilla official, stated that the damage from the tremors was quite marginal. "For the moment, there has been only material damage and we haven't detected any that is very serious," he said.
The official further stated that there were some buildings in the area which displayed some minor cracks after the tremors. Some balconies and facades on a number of buildings also partly collapsed as a result of the earthquake, according to Yahoo! News.
As a precautionary measure, authorities in the area decided to close schools in order to properly assess the damage.
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