Breaking: Crete hit by powerful earthquake

Crete has been hit by a powerful earthquake just weeks after another one struck Greece.

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck the Greek island of Crete. This comes just two weeks after another quake on the island killed a man and damaged hundreds of buildings. There have so far been no immediate reports of damage or injury regarding the latest quake.

The Geodynamic Institute in Athens said the quake this morning, October 12, had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 and was registered under the sea off the eastern coast of the island.

One Brit holidaying in Crete said all was fine following the earthquake, adding that it felt like a “weird swaying of the ground”. She said: “Friends who live on Kos felt it too. It was centred just off Crete apparently.”

Writing on the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre website, one resident, from the town of Analipsi near Heraklion, said: “Massive tremor. The whole house shook side to side by at least 15 cms. It lasted about 20 seconds.”

Another resident of the same area said: “Long duration, even people driving felt it.”

Crete’s deputy regional governor, Yiannis Leondarakis, told Greece’s state-run radio that “the quake was felt all over the island. It did cause concern because we are still feeling the aftershocks from the previous quake. Fortunately, there does not appear to be any serious damage despite the fact that it was a strong event and occurred at a shallow depth.”

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Crete was hit by four earthquakes on September 27 in the space of only 45 minutes. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, (EMSC), said that the biggest quake hit around 25km from the capital of Heraklion. Other people have suggested that it had actually occurred closer to the city. The EMSC insists that the quake hit only four miles from the village of Thrapsano.

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