Residents in many parts of eastern Libya have said they felt the ground rattling beneath them late on Monday, which later turned out to be the tremors of an earthquake that hit the Greek Island of Crete.

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Crete at around 1.25 am local time on Monday, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

The earthquake has been felt as far away as North Africa, including Egypt and Libya.

Social platform users from Derna, Benghazi, and elsewhere in the east part of Libya shared their experience with the earthquake on Facebook. Many of them reported feeling frightened, while others said they didn't notice the jolt at all.

One of the users stated, "We felt it, the (tremor) at 1:30 in the morning. We ask God for safety for all."

Another mentioned, "For the first time, I feel an earthquake. The tremor was strong, and we pray to God for safety and mercy.