Last update - 00:00 20/11/2007
Mild earthquake strikes northern Dead Sea area
By Haaretz Service
A mild earthquake registering 4.2 on the Richter Scale struck the area of the northern Dead Sea on Tuesday.
Police said they had received no reports of injuries or damage.
The Geophysical Institute of Israel termed the strength of the earthquake "mild to moderate."
After a rush of media speculation, Uri Frizlander, the institute's director-general, said, "There is no reason to get hysterical ? there are constant earthquakes that the public doesn't feel."
However, Frizlander did warn the public to be prepared for a stronger earthquake, and said that the authorities must strictly implement building regulations and strengthen weak foundations of existing structures.
Residents of Kibbutz Ein Gedi, just south of the earthquake's epicenter, reported feeling the ground shake and objects moving.