Potent earthquake recorded off Crete – no major damages

An earthquake of significant potency has been recorded off the island Crete, Greece.

No major damages have been reported despite high magnitude.

Crete is one of Greece’s most visited tourist destinations and has a local population of more than 600,000 people.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that they recorded an earthquake registering at 6.0 on the Richter scale, while Greece’s own Civil Protection Department put the quake at 6.1.

The Civil Protection Department reported that there was no need for concern at present and no major damages or harm to human life have been observed.

The earthquake was recorded between the islands of Crete and Kythera at a depth of 56 kilometres, and was reportedly felt all the way in Athens, more than 250 kilometres away.

The news comes only days after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Albania which resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people and the injuries of at least 600 others.

Although the epicenter of the Albanian earthquake is close to Greece, it does not affect the latter’s seismogenic area and related activity, as the two are separated by the Koritsa fault.

This is the deadliest earthquake to have occurred in Albania since 1979 when 120 people died after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

12 countries have sent human resources and equipment to help the Albanian government and local Red Cross with their efforts to find survivors among the wreckage, as well as help treat the injured people found.

Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, Serbia, and Montenegro are among the countries that are actively helping the Albanian authorities.

Dogs, teams of rescuers, and drones have been deployed in order to find as many survivors as possible.