ATHENS, Greece (AP) – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of at least 6.0 hit central Greece on Wednesday and was also felt in neighboring Albania and North Macedonia, and in Kosovo and Montenegro.
One man was injured by falling debris, but there was no other immediate report of serious injuries. Local authorities have reported structural damage, mainly to old houses and buildings that have seen the walls collapse or crack.
The midday earthquake caused thousands of people to run from houses and office buildings to the streets of Larissa and Tyrnavos, the cities closest to the epicenter, which was 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-northwest of Larissa . Numerous aftershocks hit the area, the most powerful having a preliminary magnitude of over 5.0.
The earthquake struck at 12:16 pm (1015 GMT), according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute, which estimated the preliminary magnitude at 6.0.
The United States Geological Survey and the Global Geofon Seismic Monitor estimate the preliminary magnitude at 6.3, but magnitude estimates often vary shortly after an earthquake.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias to convey solidarity and offer assistance if necessary, according to officials in the two neighboring countries – who are longstanding regional rivals.
In Athens, seismologist Vassilis Karastathis told reporters that the earthquake originated from a geological fault in the area that, historically, has not produced tremors of a magnitude much greater than Wednesday’s. He said post-earthquake activity had seemed normal until now, but experts were monitoring the situation.
“The earthquake had an estimated depth of just 8 kilometers (5 miles) and that was one of the reasons why it was felt so strongly in the region,” said Karastathis, who is deputy director of the Geodynamic Institute in Athens.
Nikos Gatsas, mayor of the city of Elassona, which is north of the epicenter, told the Greek state broadcaster ERT that the walls of old houses had collapsed in nearby villages and that a school in the village had been damaged. All students were evacuated from the building and there were no injuries.
The fire department said it had received reports of damage to a home and school, while the fire service and the police patrolled the area. All local firefighters were put on alert.
The National Defense Chief of Staff and other civil defense officers, firefighters and political officials were heading for the area.
Greece is in a highly seismically active region. The vast majority of earthquakes do not cause damage or injury.
Last October, an earthquake that hit the Greek island of Samos, in the eastern Aegean, and the neighboring Turkish coast killed two high school students in Samos and at least 75 people in Turkey. In 1999, an earthquake near Athens killed 143 people.
___ Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey contributed. ___
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