Heraklion, Crete was rocked for the second consecutive day by a severe earthquake of 5.3 magnitude. Here in the city, the ground shake was harsh for almost one minute, as a repeat of yesterday’s Crete quakes which sent residents into the streets. This 10 km deep event had its epicenter only a short distance from the previous 4 km WNW of Arkalochóri, Greece.
Update 1: Aftershocks from yesterday’s 6.0 events diminished at first and then intensified all day yesterday. Our team counted more than fifty until midnight. In addition, several smaller aftershocks continue to stress the population after the earthquake that hit this morning at 7:48 am local time.
“I was asleep in Panernos, and it woke me up. The whole room shook for what seemed quite a long time. Nothing fell, but it’s still stressful after yesterday’s earthquake,” reads a citizen report on EMSC.
At least twelve aftershocks since the morning were counted by the time of this report. There are no reports of severe damage yet, but the quake hit in the same area, where most buildings have already collapsed.
Residents here expected another severe tremor on account of the increasing magnitude of the dozens of Monday aftershocks. Instead, this morning’s quake seemed less intense than the earlier event, which killed at least one, injured dozens, and made thousands leave their homes in nearby villages. The tremor yesterday was the most powerful to hit the Mediterranean island since 1959, according to Imperial College London seismologist, Dr. Stephen Hicks, cited by The Guardian.
The military was called in yesterday to help citizens in the hard-hit village of Arkalochori, in the interior of the island, near the epicenter. The Crete quakes have islanders worried because of the unusual severity and the number of strong aftershocks.
The island is no stranger to seismic events, but the past two days have been harrowing. No injuries or damages have been reported as yet from this morning’s event. We will keep you updated.