5.2-magnitude earthquake strikes near Greek island of Crete

By AP 26 December 2021, 7:23 pm

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A resident passes next to a damaged Greek Orthodox chapel after a strong earthquake in Arcalochori village on the southern island of Crete, Greece, on September 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Harry Nikos)

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake jolts Greece’s southern islands, but no damage or casualties have been reported so far.

The tremor struck at 5:15 p.m. (1515 GMT), east of the island of Crete and at the depth of 9 kilometers (5.6 miles), the Institute of Geodynamics in Athens reports.

The earthquake was felt in Crete and the islands of Karpathos, Kassos, Rhodes, and Santorini, according to local media.

An unrelated 4.0-magnitude tremor also hit at 6:14 p.m. (1614 GMT), west of Athens, the Institute of Geodynamics reports. The epicenter was at a depth of 16.7 kilometers (10.4 miles), it said.

Tremors of that magnitude are not uncommon in Greece, which lies close to a meeting point between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates.