A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Crete island at 09:24:03 (UTC), and 12:24 PM local time just outside the ancient town of Palekastro in the far-east of Greece’s largest island.
The powerful quake was felt over 100 kilometers away in Heraklion, the island’s capital, and even farther west in Rethymno. The 8.7 kilometer deep quake follows a similar seismic event near Arkaolochori in Heraklion Prefecture, which rendered that village unlivable to the foreseeable future.
Local authorities say police and fire crews dispatched to check buildings, but that so far there have been no reports of injuries or serious quake damage. Aftershocks from the Palekastro event of 4.1 and 4.6 in magnitude have been reported, so far. Officials say other islands including Karpathos, Kassos and Rhodes felt the quake as well.
Palekastro is an ancient site inhabited since at least 2900 BCE, during the Early Minoan period. The town was destroyed by an earthquake around 1760 BCE, and inundated by the tsunamis that accompanied the Thera eruption that signalled the end of Minoan Civilization.