A powerful earthquake struck western Greece on Friday morning, but fortunately no injuries were reported.
According to the Greek Geodynamic Institute in Athens, the earthquake, measuring 5.8 magnitude, occurred at 9:12 am local time.
The epicentre was located about 20 kilometres below the seabed off the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, near the islet of Stamfani (Strofades).
This earthquake followed a smaller quake with a magnitude of 4.1.
While Greece’s Civil Defence organization did not immediately report any casualties or damage to buildings, there was no tsunami warning issued.
“We felt the tremors very strongly,” a resident of the nearby Olympia region said, adding that “everyone here is on the streets.”
Local media reported that many schools had been evacuated as the quake was felt throughout western Greece, and on the tourist island of Zakynthos and as far away as Athens, about 300 kilometres away.
The deepest point of the Mediterranean Sea is located between western Greece and Sicily in Italy, with a depth of over 5,000 metres.
The African and European tectonic plates meet in this region, which makes it prone to strong earthquakes.
