Police cordon off part of a beach due to falling rocks in Xerokampos village after a strong earthquake shook Crete island. EPA
A number of buildings were damaged during the earthquake. EPA
A woman holds a religious icon as she stands in front of a damaged church in Xerokampos village on the island of Crete in Greece, where a 6.3-magnitude earthquake occurred on October 12, 2021. EPA
A damaged church is seen in Xerokampos village, near Sitia, after a strong earthquake measuring 6. 3 on the Richter scale shook Crete island, Greece, 12 October 2021. The 6. 3 Richter quake that shook the village of Zakros on 12 October is not linked to the 5. 8 Richter quake near Arkalochori roughly two weeks ago, professor of seismology Ethymios Lekkas told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency. According to Lekkas, who is president of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation of Greece, the two quakes arose from two different faults. EPA / NIKOS CHALKIADAKIS
A damaged church is seen in Xerokampos village, near Sitia EPA
A local looks at the destroyed chapel. Reuters
A crack is seen on the coast following the quake. Reuters
The quake hit off the eastern port of Ierapetra. Residents were advised to stay away from the coast.
Magnitude 4.1 and 4.6 quakes that were believed to be aftershocks took place soon after, the institute in Athens said.
The first quake was felt as far afield as the coast of Turkey and on Cyprus, more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) away. It also shook nearby Greek islands to the east of Crete, including Karpathos.
There were no reports of serious damage or injuries but a small church near the epicentre that was empty at the time of the quake partially collapsed. Police and fire crews were checking remote villages in eastern Crete for casualties, authorities said.
“The quake was felt all over the island, and it did cause concern because we are still feeling the aftershocks from the previous quake,” Crete’s deputy regional governor, Yiannis Leondarakis, told Greece’s state-run radio.
“Fortunately there does not appear to be any serious damage, despite the fact that it was a strong event and occurred at a shallow depth.”
Witnesses said residents of the island’s largest city, Heraklion, went outdoors when the quake struck, while students at many schools on the island gathered outside their classrooms.
Hundreds of people from villages south of Heraklion remain homeless following a 5.8-magnitude quake on September 27.
A man was killed while carrying out restoration work at a church that was damaged in the area. Residents whose homes were damaged were moved to hotels and tents set up by the army.
Seismologists said the quakes last month and on Tuesday took place along different fault lines.
