Greece island Kefalonia struck by 6.1-magnitude earthquake
Quake appears to be a strong aftershock to a Jan. 26 temblor, reviving memories of 1950s horror
The Associated Press
Posted: Feb 02, 2014 10:42 PM ET
Last Updated: Feb 03, 2014 12:33 PM ET
Western Greece was rocked by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake Monday morning.
(Google
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude between 5.7 and
6.1 hit the western Greek island of Kefalonia before dawn Monday,
sending frightened residents into the streets just over a week after a
similar quake damaged hundreds of buildings, reviving memories of a
disaster in the 1950s.
Authorities said about 16 people had been slightly hurt, mainly by falling objects, while roads, homes and shops were damaged and some areas suffered power and water supply cuts.
Christos Kyrakatos, a resident of one of Kefalonia's villages, told Greek television that at least one person in his village had been taken away by ambulance. The power and water supply to the area had been cut, and residents who had fled their homes also had to contend with intense bad weather, with strong rain and low temperatures.
Kefalonia Mayor Alexandros Parisis said the port at the island's second largest town of Lixouri, the closest to the epicenter, had been damaged.
Schools on the island have been shut for the past week, and had not
been scheduled to reopen until Wednesday, said Deputy Mayor Evangelos
Kekatos.
Authorities urged the islanders to remain calm and not approach any buildings that appeared damaged.
An eight-member rescue team with a sniffer dog was heading to the island as a precaution, the fire department said, while Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias and his ministry's secretary general were also heading to Kefalonia to co-ordinate the response.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute registered the pre-dawn quake, which struck just after 5 a.m. local time, with a magnitude of 5.7 and an epicenter 12 kilometres northwest of the island's capital of Argostoli. The U.S. Geological Survey registered a 6.1-magnitude. It is common for institutes to register different figures.
Seismologists said more aftershocks were to be expected on the island, which lies in a highly seismically active region. Several registered in the initial hours after Monday's quake.
"The whole area has been activated … we are all on alert," said Maria Sahpazi, head of the Geodynamic Institute, adding that Monday morning's quake appeared to be a strong aftershock of the Jan. 26 temblor.
"We expect more aftershocks, which will be of this size or smaller," she said.
Monday's quake was felt across parts of the western Greek mainland and as far away as the Greek capital, Athens, nearly 300 kilometres to the east.
Authorities said about 16 people had been slightly hurt, mainly by falling objects, while roads, homes and shops were damaged and some areas suffered power and water supply cuts.
Christos Kyrakatos, a resident of one of Kefalonia's villages, told Greek television that at least one person in his village had been taken away by ambulance. The power and water supply to the area had been cut, and residents who had fled their homes also had to contend with intense bad weather, with strong rain and low temperatures.
Kefalonia Mayor Alexandros Parisis said the port at the island's second largest town of Lixouri, the closest to the epicenter, had been damaged.
Schools closed
Earthquakes have been rattling Kefalonia constantly for the past week, after a 5.9-magnitude temblor struck the area on Jan. 26, damaging homes and slightly injuring seven people. Since then, thousands of residents have been spending nights with relatives or in ships sent to accommodate them.
Sailboats
stored ashore on the western Greek island of Kefalonia were knocked off
their jack stands by a strong earthquake early Monday. (Associated
Press)
Authorities urged the islanders to remain calm and not approach any buildings that appeared damaged.
An eight-member rescue team with a sniffer dog was heading to the island as a precaution, the fire department said, while Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias and his ministry's secretary general were also heading to Kefalonia to co-ordinate the response.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute registered the pre-dawn quake, which struck just after 5 a.m. local time, with a magnitude of 5.7 and an epicenter 12 kilometres northwest of the island's capital of Argostoli. The U.S. Geological Survey registered a 6.1-magnitude. It is common for institutes to register different figures.
More aftershocks
The intense seismic activity reawakened memories of the devastating 1953 quakes on Kefalonia and neighbouring Zakinthos, when a 7.2-magnitude temblor struck three days after a 6.4 quake, killing hundreds, injuring thousands and destroying nearly all the buildings on the islands.Seismologists said more aftershocks were to be expected on the island, which lies in a highly seismically active region. Several registered in the initial hours after Monday's quake.
"The whole area has been activated … we are all on alert," said Maria Sahpazi, head of the Geodynamic Institute, adding that Monday morning's quake appeared to be a strong aftershock of the Jan. 26 temblor.
"We expect more aftershocks, which will be of this size or smaller," she said.
Monday's quake was felt across parts of the western Greek mainland and as far away as the Greek capital, Athens, nearly 300 kilometres to the east.
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