Crete earthquake latest: Aftershocks continue after 6.1 quake with tourist sites still closed
Seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos said there would be additional aftershocks through the day, ‘but they are all harmless’
Aftershocks have continued through the day after a powerful magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred north-east of Crete on Thursday morning.
The powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Crete at 6.19am local time (3.19am GMT), according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences.
No injuries or major damage have been reported, but popular tourist spots the Samaria and Imbros gorges remained closed throughout Thursday as a precaution.
Seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos said on social media there would be some additional aftershocks through the day, “but they are all harmless”.
“Fortunately, the depth and distance from the island became a shield of protection again,” he said in a translation of his post.
The quake was felt across the Aegean Sea, reaching parts of Turkey and north Africa.
Shortly after the quake tourists were urged to “move away from the coast” after the tremors led to warnings of a possible tsunami in Greece and beyond - though the head of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation said this was unlikely.
Crete is a seismological hotspot and while most quakes are mild, stronger ones – such as the deadly 2021 earthquake also centred near Crete – have caused damage in the past.
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Crete earthquake mapped: Where the magnitude 6.1 quake was most intense
Crete earthquake mapped: Where the magnitude 6.1 quake was most intense
Mayor of Arkalochori, the town at the epicentre of 2021 devastating earthquake, says tremor was ‘piece of cake’'
The mayor of Arkalochori in Crete — one of the worst-hit areas in the devastating 2021 earthquake – said that today’s 6.1 tremor was a “piece of cake” for the residents.
Vasilis Keggeroglou told Creta Post: “The earthquake had intensity but no acceleration and fortunately it had a large focal depth.”
He added: “This earthquake was a piece of cake for us.”
“There are no reports of problems that would lead to the closure of schools. We are continuing as normal,” Mr Keggeroglou said.
Arkalochori, a town in central Crete, was at the epicentre of a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in September 2021, which left one person dead and caused widespread destruction.
Thousands were forced into temporary shelters after the infrastructure collapsed in the region. The community of Arkalochori also endured weeks of aftershocks.
Watch: CCTV visuals as magnitude 6 earthquake hits Crete coast in Greece
Everything we know about Greece earthquake and tsunami alert
- A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off northern Crete at 6.19am local time on Thursday.
- The epicentre was 58km northeast of Elounda, at a depth of 69km.
- More than 30 aftershocks have been recorded, the strongest being magnitude 3.5.
- Authorities report no serious injuries or structural damage.
- The quake was felt in Turkey, Israel, and Egypt. Its depth likely reduced surface impact.
- A tsunami alert was triggered by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre. No tsunami occurred.
-No travel advisories were issued, but tourists were urged to stay alert and follow official instructions.
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Efthymios Lekkas, head of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation, said the earthquake’s location at sea and its significant depth have made a tsunami unlikely.
According to the Greek daily Ta Nea, Mr Lekkas explained that the earthquake occurred at a significant depth, making it less likely to cause severe surface damage.
He said the earthquake struck at the junction of the African and European tectonic plates.
Vasilis Karastathis, the director of the Geodynamic Institute, also told OPEN television: “We were expecting a revised solution to come out, it is 60 kilometres deep and does not pose a danger at such a depth and so many kilometres away from Lasithi and the coast.”
“There is no problem. We will also look at the aftershock sequence, but I do not think it will be intense. With these characteristics of the earthquake, we do not expect any aftershock sequence. There is no need to be concerned,” he said.
“When it is large, the depth opens up the distance, which is why it was felt in Attica and was quite large,” he added.
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