The Media Center of the Cabinet revealed that it contacted the National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research to verify reports of a significant retreat of seawater. The latter completely denied the validity of all circulated news. The National Institute for Astronomical Research confirmed that there is no truth to the claims of seawater receding from some beaches in the country due to "tsunami" tidal waves resulting from earthquakes in the Mediterranean Sea. It clarified that the drop in water levels at these beaches is a natural phenomenon occurring due to climatic changes, related to the movements of tides, and is not connected to any destructive hurricanes. They emphasized that water levels would rise again at a specified time naturally and urged citizens not to be swayed by false information aimed at inciting panic among them, highlighting the importance of sourcing information from official channels.
The statement noted that the seismic activity causing tsunami waves in the Red and Mediterranean seas is very weak compared to other areas on Earth’s surface. This comes after water movement monitoring stations observed a decrease in water levels at these beaches. Social media platforms in Egypt circulated news and images of a significant retreat of Mediterranean seawater in several coastal cities, including Port Said and Bur Fouad, causing panic among Egyptians heading to the northern coasts during the summer vacation and hot summer season.
It is worth noting that local authorities in Egypt had closed several beaches over the past two days in various locations along the northern Egyptian coasts, including beaches in Marouh, Port Said, Damietta, and Kafr El-Sheikh, due to high waves and windy conditions, prioritizing the safety of citizens.
