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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-01-08
CONTENTS
[01] 6.9R earthquake between Cretae and Kythira jolts most of Greece,
some damage, no injuries reported
[01] 6.9R earthquake between Cretae and Kythira jolts most of Greece,
some damage, no injuries reported
A strong earthquake registering 6.9 on the Richter scale struck between
the islands of Crete and Kythira in the early afternoon on Sunday,
jolting most of the country, causing some damage to Kythira airport and
the collapse of several decrepit houses on Kythira, according to
reports. The earthquake, which was felt as far off as Kastoria, also
caused some panic, but no injuries, according to reports so far.
The magnitude of the earthquake was initially put at between 6.5 and
6.9 on the Richter scale by various earthquake monitoring facilities.
The Athens Observatory's Geodynamic Insitute put the magnitude at 6.5
on the Richter scale, but later concurred with the Thessaloniki
Aristotelion University's Seismology Laboratory and the Patras seismic
monitoring station readings of a 6.9R magnitude. The US Geological
Service put the magnitude at 6.7 on the open-ended Richter scale. In
the hour following the initial quake, four more tremblers were recorded
with magnitudes ranging from 5.0 to 5.5 Richter.
According to the Athens Observatory's Geodynamic Insitute, the
earthquake was recorded at 1:34 p.m. Sunday, at a distance of 200
kilometres southwest of Athens, in the sea between Kythira and Chania,
Crete, some 30 kilometres east of Kythira, and at a large epicentral
depth of 30 kilometres. The epicentre is situated in the southwest
section of the "Greek arch".
The area is considered highly-seismic, producing many large
earthquakes, the largest known trembler being the 8.3 Richter quake in
365 AD.
Seismologists said the earthquake was most likely the main quake,
adding that intense post-quake activity was anticipated.
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