Earthquake of magnitude 6.1 sends Greek islanders rushing into street

April 2015 – CRETE – An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck around 50 km off the eastern tip of the Greek Mediterranean island of Crete, the US Geological Survey said. USGS located the quake 152 km (95 miles) east-southeast of the island’s main town, Heraklion. It revised the magnitude from a previous 6.3. Greek fire brigade officials in Athens said the quake had been felt on the island but that there were no immediate reports of damage of casualties. A local police official in Crete said the quake had been strong enough to send some of the island’s residents rushing into the streets.

“I jumped up from my chair, the ground shook for at least five minutes,” said Crete resident Aglaia Terzakis, who lives in the village of Rotassi. “I did not see any material damage but it is nighttime and it’s difficult to see what has happened,” she added. Greece is one of Europe’s most earthquake-prone countries. –SMH