Powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake rattles holiday islands of Rhodes, Cyprus and Crete
- Earthquake struck in the sea about 36 miles southeast of Lindos, town in Rhodes
- The earthquake’s tremors were felt in Cyprus, Crete and Turkey today
A powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern Greek island of Rhodes today, with the tremors felt as far away as Cyprus and Crete.
The earthquake, with a depth of 16 miles, struck in the sea about 36 miles southeast of Lindos, a town in Rhodes at 2.37pm local time (12.37GMT).
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The quake was also felt in the nearby Turkish provinces of Mugla, Izmir and Antalya, with Turkey’s AFAD emergency management agency saying it had a preliminary magnitude of 5.4.
It is common for different seismological institutes to record variations in magnitude in the initial hours and days after a quake.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in Turkey either, although the earthquake caused panic in Mugla province, HaberTurk television said, with residents rushing out of buildings.
The undersea quake had an epicenter nearly 250 miles southeast of Athens and 36 miles southeast of Lindos, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said.
Greece and Turkey lie in a highly seismically active region. and experience hundreds of earthquakes each year. The vast majority cause no injuries or damage.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow…
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