A powerful earthquake stroke with magnitude 6.3 on the Richter scale the island of Crete at 12:24 noon on Tuesday. According to preliminary information, the epicenter of the earthquake was in the sea area 51 km off Sitia in the south-eastern coast of the island.
The Euro-Mediterranean Institute has reportedly issued a tsunami warning about 45 minutes later.
A small tsunami is developing, media reported short before 2 p.m. There are calls to locals to move away from the shores.
The first earthquake recording showed 6.6 R and focal depth 10 km, while the second showed 6.1 R and focal depth 56 km.
The tremor rattle the island and residents in many towns, villages in Ierapetra and Heraklio rushed out of homes and businesses in panic.
Eyewitnesses said that the tremor lasted more than 15 seconds.
The earthquake took place just two weeks after the 5. R in central Crete with Arkalochori as epicenter.
Head of Greek Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, Efthymios Lekkas, told state broadcaster ERT said based on the first data that the epicenter of the 6.3 R is on a different fault line than the one in Arkalochori.
The earthquake on Tuesday was located “80 km away from Arkalochori,” Lekkas said.
He said they had no information yet on how the powerful tremor affected the buildings on the island.
The earthquake was felt also in the broader area of the Aegean Sea, was noticed on the island groups of Cyclades and the Dodecanese.
Within half an hour after the 6.3 R, a tremor of 3.4 R was recorded in Santorini and a 4.5 R in Karpathos, close to Crete.
Based on the data available so far, Greek seismologists estimate that the 6.3 R was the main earthquake. They closely monitor the phenomenon.
So far, 1:50 pm local time, there are no reports of injuries or material damage.
