The Greek island of Crete has been hit by a strong earthquake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale. The quake took place at 6.19 (Greek time) 56 kilometers north-northeast of Heraklion, Crete, at a depth of 69 kilometers, according to data from the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens. The tremor was felt intensely across the island, particularly in Chania and Rethymno, prompting automatic alerts on mobile devices with safety instructions.
Reports also indicate that the shaking was noticeable on several Aegean islands and even in parts of mainland Greece, including Athens, Euronews reported. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) has issued a tsunami alert, urging people in Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, and Portugal to follow guidance from their local emergency services.
THe EMSC said: “Depending on the distance of the earthquake from the coastline, the tsunami could be local (1,000 km).”
Authorities have urged people on the popular Greek island of Crete to move inland and avoid coastal areas.
No injuries or damage were initially reported, but the Greek fire brigade announced that all units across Crete have been placed on heightened alert.
Several aftershocks followed the earthquake. Fragments were reportedly seen falling from a building along with small landslides on provincial roads.
The head of Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation, Efthimios Lekkas, told national broadcaster, ERT, that the quake’s offshore location was a relief and that there was little risk of a tsunami.
He said that the earthquake occurred at a significant depth in a known seismic zone where the African and European tectonic plates meet, an area which is historically prone to strong earthquakes, though unrelated to the Santorini fault line.
This earthquake comes just one week after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Kasos, another island in southern Greece.
Back in 2021, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the island of Crete weeks after a deadly tremor had claimed one life and injured around a dozen people, devastating several villages near Heraklion and damaging hundreds of homes.