Greece's General Secretariat for Civil Protection reported that at least one man lost his life while several others were injured after a devastating magnitude 5.8 earthquake that hit Crete, a Greek Island.
Officials recorded the massive earthquake at about 9:17 a.m. based on data from the Athens Geodynamic Institute. The agency said that the epicenter of the quake, which had a depth of six miles, was located 14 miles northwest of the seaside village of Arvi found in southeastern Crete.
Devastating Greek Earthquake
The fatality that resulted from the incident was a man who was initially found to be unconscious inside a chapel in the town of Arkalochori and later removed. The area was located south of the island's capital, Heraklion. The victim was believed to have been working on renovations of the chapel when he was affected by the quake.
Civil protection authorities confirmed that the devastating earthquake caused severe damage to buildings in the area, the majority of which were older structures. The incident also forced officials to temporarily close down schools for the day to keep their students safe, CNN reported.
Government officials took to the streets to analyze the extent of the damage and the Greek Fire Service released a statement saying its personnel in the area were quickly deployed. Workers carried out patrols in the wider area that was affected by the earthquake to assess the damage.
The earthquake also caused rock slides near the country's fourth-largest city and sent people running in a panic into the streets of Heraklion. Several aftershocks were felt after the initial shaking which residents described as being similar to small explosions.
Heraklion Mayor Vassilis Lambrinos said that the earthquake was strong and lasted for quite some time. Hospital officials reported that 20 people were admitted and treated for injuries, 10 of whom received first aid, the Associated Press reported.
Effects of the Massive Quake
Officials said that international and domestic flights to Heraklion airport were not affected by the earthquake. Additionally, the region's hoteliers association said that there was no serious damage to hotels in the region, which included many famous holiday resorts.
A video was later uploaded to social media that showed some of the damage that the recent earthquake caused to the Greek Island of Crete. Resident Demos Konsolakes captured the footage which showed rubble strewn in the streets of Arkalochori.
Before schools were closed down, teachers and school staff instructed students to evacuate outside and gather in schoolyards. Despite measuring as magnitude 5.8, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the incident as a magnitude 6.0 earthquake.
The EMSC reported that some of the aftershocks felt after the initial quake was as strong as magnitude 4.7. The agency said that residents in the Greek Island could feel aftershocks that could last a few hours up to several days. On Twitter, Greek Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Stylianides, said he would be traveling to Crete to assess the situation and coordinate with local officials, Newsweek reported.
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