TECHNOLOGY

Greece Earthquake Video Shows Rubble in Streets As at Least One Killed

Greek authorities reported that nine people were also injured as a result of the quake, which measured around 6.0 on the Richter scale.

2021-09-27 08:09

A video has been released showing some of the damage caused by a strong earthquake that struck the Greek island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. In the footage, captured by Demos Konsolakes, rubble can be seen strewn in the streets of Arkalochori. Greece's Ministry for Climate Change and Civil Protection said in a statement that a "strong seismic vibration" of magnitude 5.8 on the Richter scale occurred at 9:17 a.m local time on September 27 in Crete, which is the largest of Greece's numerous islands.

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According to the Institute of Geodynamics at the National Observatory of Athens, the epicenter of the quake was located around 14 miles northwest of the Cretan city of Arvi and around 215 miles from the Greek capital. Greek authorities said there had been at least one fatality and nine injuries as a result of the earthquake, while the full extent of the damage caused is still being assessed. One man died when the dome of a church in Arkalochori caved in during renovation works, Reuters reported, citing local police officials. Many buildings on the island suffered damage as a result of the quake, prompting people in parts of the island—including its largest city Heraklion—to flee into the streets. Among those who rushed outdoors were schoolchildren. As the quake struck teachers and school staff instructed pupils to leave their classrooms and gather in schoolyards and town squares across the island. "It felt quite strong and lasted many seconds," a local mayor told Greek TV station Skai television. While Greek authorities said the quake measured 5.8 in magnitude, both the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a value of 6.0. According to the EMSC, several smaller earthquakes have rocked the island in the hours following the first. Some of these aftershocks have measured as high as 4.7 in magnitude. The EMSC said aftershocks may continue to occur over the course of the next few hours, and potentially, several days. Greek Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Stylianides said on Twitter he will travel to the island in order to assess the situation and coordinate "the actions of all involved bodies." Earthquakes are not uncommon in this region of the Mediterranean. Among the largest of recent times was a 7.0-magnitude quake that occurred in the Aegean Sea—part of the eastern Mediterranean—on October 31, 2020. Thirty-seven people in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir died as a result of the earthquake, in addition to two children on the Greek island of Samos. Last Wednesday, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, causing damage to buildings in some areas.