Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Strikes Off the Coast of Crete

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck in the southern Aegean Sea, near the popular Greek island of Crete, early this morning. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at a depth of approximately 68.9 kilometers, with its epicenter located about 58 kilometers northeast of the town of Eloúnda.

Residents on Crete reported that the earthquake lasted for an unusually long duration, creating a sense of unease among those who felt it. The tremor was felt not just on Crete, but also across the Peloponnese peninsula, the Cyclades islands, and even on the island of Cyprus, as reported by local media.

Thanasis Ganas, the head of the Geodynamic Institute in Athens, provided reassurance that the likelihood of significant aftershocks is low. So far, there have been no reports of damage resulting from the quake.

In a precautionary measure, Greek disaster response authorities issued a tsunami warning following the earthquake, disseminating alerts via SMS to residents in the affected areas. Fortunately, no tsunami occurred as a result of the seismic activity.

This earthquake follows another significant tremor of the same magnitude that occurred just a week ago, which was also felt across popular tourist destinations in the Aegean, including Kos and Rhodes.

Since late January, the region has experienced a series of seismic events, particularly around the island of Santorini and its neighboring islands. Experts noted that this level of seismic activity in the area had not been observed since 1964.