Magnitude 5.3 earthquake rattles southern Greece, no casualties

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake, which struck at 8:13 a.m. (0613 GMT), had its epicenter in the Aegean Sea about 340 km (211 miles) southeast of the capital Athens.

 

Local authorities said the quake was particularly felt on the island of Crete. The epicenter was 110 kilometers (70 miles) east of Crete's main city of Iraklion.

 

The officials told Reuters there were no reports of injuries or damage to buildings but emergency services were on alert.

 

Greece is one of the world’s most seismically active areas but its earthquakes rarely cause major damage or injuries. Seismologist Stavros Tassos at the Athens Geodynamic Institute told local media that the country experiences about 2,500 to 3,000 earthquakes a year, but that usually only one or two of them cause concern.

 

Last June, a 6.5-magnitude quake struck near the western port city of Patras, about 120 miles west of Athens, killing two people, injuring more than 200 and damaging hundreds of buildings. In 1999, a magnitude 5.9 quake near Athens killed 143 people.