A strong earthquake has struck several islands in Greece and other regions in the Eastern Mediterranean, including the southern Antalya region in Turkey as well as cities in Egypt Lebanon, Palestine and Israel.
The earthquake, which magnitude was measured at 6 and depth at 37.8km (23.5 miles) by the United States Geological Survey, was felt on the islands of Karpathos, Crete, Santorini and Rhodes in Greece late on Monday.
The tremor also shook the Cypriot capital Nicosia, Beirut in Lebanon, Cairo and other cities in Egypt, parts of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and the region around southern Turkey’s Antalya, Reuters news agency reported.
The Turkish disaster control authority, AFAD, reported the epicenter at 155km from the Turkish coast. It added the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 struck some 155km (96 miles) off the resort town of Kas, in Antalya province.
Kas’s district governor, Saban Arda Yazici, said authorities had not received any reports of damage or injury in the district or its environs, reported Reuters.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent. At least 17,000 people died in a powerful earthquake in northwest Turkey in 1999.
Two powerful quakes rattled Crete in recent weeks, killing one person and damaging buildings. The quake confirmed the current increased seismic activity in this region.
Last week, a magnitude 6.3 seaquake near Crete startled people. It was felt as far away as the Greek capital, Athens, some 400km (249 miles) away.
A similarly strong quake on Crete killed one person, three weeks ago.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.