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Crete struck by powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

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Crete

A powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Greek island of Crete killing at least one person, as per official reports. People were sent rushing out on to the streets when the earthquake struck at 09:17 (06:17 GMT).

Many buildings were damaged and some reduced to piles of rubble from the initial quake and strong aftershocks.

People who live in damaged, older buildings are being advised to stay outdoors. The man died when the dome of a church that was being renovated in the town of Arkalochori caved in. According to government minister Christos Stylianidis nearly 2,500 tents were set up to house individuals who could not safely return to their homes on Monday.

He also declared a state of emergency in the Heraklion region – where Arkalochori is located. The small farming town of Arkalochori, located about 30km (18 miles) from the island’s capital Heraklion, was particularly badly hit by the earthquake. Pictures from the area show damaged shop fronts and crumbled buildings. As per local media reports, safety inspections are now under way, with members of Greece’s disaster response unit flown in with sniffer dogs and specialised rescue equipment.

Seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos said in a statement that the event did not occur without warning. He mentioned that an activity in the particular region of Crete has been witnessed for several months. He shared that the latest earthquake was strong and it was not under sea but under land and affected populated areas.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) initially recorded a magnitude of 6.5 while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.0. The Athens Geodynamic Institute later said the 5.8 quake struck 23km (14 miles) north-west of the coastal village of Arvi, at a depth of 10km. Both Greece and Turkey sit on fault lines and earthquakes are common.

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