Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-08-14

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] STRONG EARTHQUAKE IN LEFKADA

[02] TWENTY NINE YEARS AFTER THE SECOND TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS IN 1974

[03] GOVERNMENT DELEGATION WILL VISIT LEFKADA

[04] THE FOREST FIRE IN IKARIA IS UNDER CONTROL

[05] EARTHQUAKE ROCKS LEFKADA

[06] STRONG EARTHQUAKE ROCKS THE IONIAN SEA ISLAND OF LEFKADA

[01] STRONG EARTHQUAKE IN LEFKADA

Fifteen people were injured, 3 of them seriously, while extensive damages were reported in buildings as a result of the strong earthquake that rocked the Ionian Sea island of Lefkada. Landslides caused problems to the road network and the electricity and water supplies were interrupted in certain regions.

A strong earthquake rocked the island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea at 8.15am today measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale. It was felt in all the Ionian Sea islands, western Greece and Athens, even in the cities of Kozani and Larisa.

Ten people, most of them Italian tourists, who had camped in the region of Egremnous, were evacuated safely. Two of them were slightly injured by falling rocks and were taken to a hospital.

Other two people were seriously injured in the region of Katarraktes in the communal department of Nidri. They were injured by falling rocks and were taken to a hospital.

In the village of Agios Nikitas, 3 people were injured by falling rocks and were taken to a hospital in the city of Preveza in the Greek mainland. The condition of one of them is characterized as crucial and was transferred to the hospital of Ioannina.

Buildings were damaged in the main market in the city of Lefkada, in the village of Agios Nikitas and in the region of Nidri. Limited or extensive damages were reported in the road network of the island, while long cracks can be seen in the port of Ligias. The road from Nidri to Lefkada has been closed by large rocks that fell during the earthquake.

Many regions in the island are left without electricity or telephone service, while according to a statement by the prefecture of Lefkada, problems have been reported in the water supply network of the city of Lefkada.

[02] TWENTY NINE YEARS AFTER THE SECOND TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS IN 1974

Twenty nine years have passed since the second Turkish invasion of Cyprus on August 14, 1974.

During the second invasion, Turkey completed its crime on Cyprus and its people with the occupation of Famagusta, Karpasia and Morfou.

Still, 37% of the Cypriot territory remains under occupation, thousands of refugees are being denied of their right to return to their homes, while hundreds of people are still missing. The number of the people who were trapped in the occupied territories is declining while their human rights are being violated.

[03] GOVERNMENT DELEGATION WILL VISIT LEFKADA

A government delegation with the participation of the Fire Department Chief will visit Lefkada to coordinate the inspections aimed at determining the extent of the damages caused by the earthquake that rocked the Ionian Sea island at 8.15am today measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale.

The order for the government delegation to visit the island was given by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis who is on his summer vacation in the Aegean island of Sifnos.

[04] THE FOREST FIRE IN IKARIA IS UNDER CONTROL

The big fire in the region of Oxe, 5 kilometers from Agios Kirikos in the central Aegean island of Ikaria, has been put under control. The fire passed through residential areas and the strong south winds made the work of the fire fighters very hard.

According to the latest information, a large forest area has been burned, while 3 country houses have been destroyed.

[05] EARTHQUAKE ROCKS LEFKADA

About 15 people were taken to the Lefkada Hospital after being slightly injured during the earthquake that hit the Ionian Sea island of Lefkada at 8.15 this morning. Hundreds of local residents and tourists left their houses and hotels in panic. According to Athens' Geo-dynamic Institute, the earthquake measured 6.4.on the Richter, while according to the Seismology Laboratory in Patras it measured 5.9.

The earthquake had a long duration and caused extensive damages in houses, while according to information, abandoned stone-built houses have collapsed. Also, damages were reported in the island's road network, while in certain regions electricity and water supply were interrupted. Problems have been reported in the telephone network as well.

Several smaller tremors have followed and seismologists cannot say with certainty if this was the main earthquake or a stronger tremor will follow. They also do not rule out strong aftershocks that could be as strong as the main earthquake.

The earthquake's epicenter, located 30 kilometers west of Lefkada, is known to seismologists as it has given strong earthquakes in the past. The strongest was recorded in 1948 and was as strong as today's earthquake.

[06] STRONG EARTHQUAKE ROCKS THE IONIAN SEA ISLAND OF LEFKADA

Injuries and damages were caused by the strong earthquake that rocked the Ionian Sea island of Lefkada at 8.15 this morning. The tremor measured 6.4 on the Richter scale and was felt in all the islands of the Ionian Sea, in regions of western Greece and Athens.

Authorities have stated that two people, a man and a woman, are seriously injured while a number of people have suffered light injuries. The extent of the damages is not known yet but according to information, landslides have been recorded and part of the island's road network is closed.

According to Athens' Geo-dynamic Institute, the earthquake's epicenter was located 30 kilometers west of Lefkada and 290 kilometers northwest of Athens.

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