A “terrifying” 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Greek island of Crete this morning, killing one person and injuring several others, amid reports of structural damage to homes and churches.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported that a M6.0 quake struck at 9.17 am with an epicentre 16 miles south south east of the city of Heraklion and a depth of 6.2 miles. At least nine aftershocks have also struck the area, with the strongest one registering at M4.6.
Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry confirmed that one person had been killed and a further nine people suffered injuries. Local authorities reported that a man was crushed when a church dome in the town of Arkalochori collapsed; they said that he had been renovating the church when the earthquake struck.
The details of the circumstances of the injuries were not immediately available.
Vassilis Lambrinos, the mayor of Heraklion, told Greek Skai television that all schools had been evacuated to check for structural damage.
Local media in Crete have reported that some old buildings had experienced structural damage, with walls collapsing in villages near the epicenter.
Holidaymakers were also evacuated from their hotels in Crete. Sarah Williams-Long, a doctor at King’s Hospital in London who was staying at the Creta Maris beach resort with her partner and three-year-old son told The Independent that the experience was harrowing.
She said: “They’ve evacuated us from our hotel in case there’s a second earthquake – we’re waiting to be taken to a hotel away from the higher buildings.
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