Mediterranean Sea
Earthquake shakes western Greece
The earth shook again in Greece. Were there any casualties or damage?
A strong earthquake struck western Greece this morning. According to initial measurements by the Geodynamic Institute of the Greek capital, it had a magnitude of 5.8 and occurred at 9:12 a.m. local time (8:12 a.m. CET). The center of the quake was about 20 kilometers below the seabed off the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula near the small islands of Stamfani (also Strofades). This was preceded by a smaller earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 in the region.
Civil defense initially did not say whether there were any victims or damage to buildings. A tsunami warning (tidal wave) was not issued.
“We felt the tremors were very strong,” a resident of the nearby Olympia region told the German Press Agency. “Everyone here is on the streets,” he added. Local media reporters reported that many schools had been evacuated. The earthquake was felt throughout western Greece, the tourist island of Zakynthos and as far away as Athens, a good 300 kilometers away.
The deepest part of the Mediterranean is located in the sea between western Greece and Sicily, Italy, at a depth of over 5,000 meters. The African and European plates meet in this region. Strong earthquakes occur again and again.