6.1 earthquake jolts Greek Island Crete, Tsunami alert issued

ATHENS: A powerful earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck near the Greek island of Crete early Thursday morning, according to seismologists.

The quake hit at 6:19 a.m. local time and was centred north of Crete, data from the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the US Geological Survey (USGS) revealed. The tremor occurred at a depth of 69 kilometres (43 miles).

Its epicenter was located roughly 59 kilometres from Ágios Nikólaos and about 74 kilometers from Irákleion, both on the island of Crete. Strong shaking was reported across the Aegean Islands and in parts of mainland Greece, including Athens.

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Tremors were also felt in more distant regions such as Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus.

The earthquake that struck near the Greek island of Crete early Thursday has now triggered a tsunami evaluation, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

“A big tremble, the whole house was shaking and it woke me up,” a resident from Ágios Nikólaos reported on the EMSC website.

This region sits along the highly active Hellenic Arc, where the African and Eurasian tectonic plates meet—making it one of the most earthquake-prone zones in Europe. Seismic activity is frequent here and has a history of causing serious damage.

Thursday’s quake comes just a week after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake rattled the Mediterranean Sea. That earlier tremor was also felt strongly in Crete and the Aegean Islands, with reports of shaking coming in from as far as Israel and Egypt.