Five earth tremors in seven days recorded in Brittany
One led to the evacuation of a wine bar and some homes
The most recent tremor did not record any damage, but was felt by residents near the epicentre
MuhsinRina / Shutterstock
Brittany was hit by a flurry of tectonic activity last week with five earth tremors recorded in seven days.
The last of these, recorded late on Friday October 11, measured 2.9 on the Richter scale, and had its epicentre in Ploeren (Morbihan). Most were recorded in the same department
Residents in nearby communes felt the movement but no damage was recorded.
An tremor earlier in the week caused small cracks to appear in some properties in Vannes (Morbihan), prompting a wine bar to close and the properties above the bar to be evacuated.
Although the increased seismic activity poses little threat, scientists are reportedly intrigued by the sudden uptick in the area, and will research the causes.
Are the tremors concerning?
France is no stranger to earthquakes and tremors with up to 4,000 a year recorded, and the north-west is no exception.
The whole of Brittany is prone to earthquakes, however the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) places the region at the second-lowest threat level.
Read more: MAP: 4,000 earthquakes a year in France; where, and what risk level?
In general, only around 30 events are strong enough to be felt by humans in France per year, and these are nothing more than a tremor, posing little threat.
Stronger earthquakes may cause structural damage to buildings – as one of the tremors in Brittany last week did – but full collapses are unlikely.
Read more: Which areas of France are most at risk from earthquakes?
