Magnitude 2.8 earthquake strikes near Lunel, Hérault, Occitanie, France

An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 occurred after midnight on Thursday, December 21st, 2023, at 12:25 am local time near Lunel, Hérault, Occitanie, France, as reported by France's Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS).
According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a very shallow depth of 5 km. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
Our monitoring service identified a second report from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) which listed the quake at magnitude 3.7.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Lunel-Viel (pop. 3,600) located 2 km from the epicenter, and Lunel (pop. 26,600) 3 km away.
Other towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Mauguio (pop. 18,300) located 11 km from the epicenter, Castelnau-le-Lez (pop. 18,000) 17 km away, and Montpellier (pop. 248,300) 20 km away. In Lattes (pop. 17,400, 21 km away), Nîmes (pop. 148,200, 26 km away), and Sète (pop. 40,700, 46 km away), the quake was probably not felt.

Earthquake data:
Date & time: Dec 21, 2023 12:25 am (Paris time) local time (20 Dec 2023 23:25 GMT)
Magnitude: 2.8
Depth: 5.0 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 43.69°N / 4.1°E (Hérault, Occitanie, France)
Primary data source: RENASS
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/229196/Magnitude-28-earthquake-strikes-near-Lunel-Herault-Occitanie-France.html