Press
Residents report strong tremors in parts of Greece, experts report a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.
Athens – The earth shook in western Greece on Friday morning. There were evacuations. It is initially unclear whether there were any casualties or damage, for example to buildings. An earthquake recently occurred on the holiday island of Corfu.
Earthquake in Greece: Residents feel “shaking is very strong”
According to the first measurements by the Geodynamic Institute of the Greek capital, the earthquake in Greece had a magnitude of 5.8. It therefore occurred at 9:12 a.m. local time (8:12 a.m. CET). The center of the quake was around 20 kilometers below the seabed off the Greek west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula near the small islands of Stamfani (also Strofades). A smaller earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 was previously identified in the region.
Two plates meet – background for earthquakes
The deepest part of the Mediterranean is located in the sea between western Greece and Sicily (Italy). It reaches a depth of over 5,000 meters. The African and European plates meet in this region. Strong earthquakes occur again and again.
Civil defense did not immediately say whether there were any victims or damage caused by the quake. No warning of a tsunami (tidal wave) was issued. A resident of the nearby Olympia region reported “feeling the tremors very strong.”
The people are all on the streets, he told the dpa. According to local media reporters, many schools are said to have been evacuated. People across the western part of the country and the island of Zakynthos, which is popular with tourists, felt the earthquake. Tremors were also noticed in Athens, a good 300 kilometers away. An earthquake also recently occurred in Italy and Austria. (dpa)
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