6.1-magnitude earthquake jolts Greek islands

An undersea 6.1-magnitude earthquake scale struck off the Greek island of Crete early Thursday and was felt across the Aegean Sea, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.

The powerful quake occurred some 55 kilometres north of the island, according to the Geodynamics Institute of Athens at a depth of 37 kilometres beneath the seabed.

A central road in the Cretan port city of Iraklio was cordoned off after chunks of cracked plaster from a damaged and abandoned building crashed to the ground. “Fortunately, initial reports indicate that due to its significant depth (of the earthquake), there has been no major damage,” Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis told reporters outside Athens before travelling to Crete.

The shock was felt extensively across islands throughout the Aegean Sea. Rescue crews were sent to the island as a precaution, officials said.

Earthquake and Planning Protection Organisation director Efthymios Lekkas noted that deeper earthquakes typically cause less surface damage.

Greece sits on major fault lines and experiences frequent seismic activity.