Quake shakes Greece
A powerful earthquake shook wide areas of Greece on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake, which occurred about 1.15am Irish time, had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 with an epicentre near the Aegean Sea island of Skyros, about 85 miles northwest of Athens, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute.
Late yesterday, a 4.4 magnitude quake occurred just north of the island, which has about 3,000 permanent residents and about the same number of summer tourists. No damage was reported.
Giorgos Stathis, deputy mayor of Skyros, said there was no immediate sign of casualties.
’’But for sure some houses will be damaged. There are patrols of police and other services already out on the streets,’’ he said.
The quake was felt over a wide stretch of the country from the central Aegean to the mountains of southern Greece, media reports said. A series of aftershocks also rattled the region.
In Athens and other places, people fled their homes and gathered on the streets or parks.
The last major quake to hit Greece was a 5.9 magnitude temblor on September 7, 1999, which claimed 143 lives.
