A powerful earthquake struck western Greece early Friday, with no reported casualties. The Greek Geodynamic Institute in Athens recorded the quake at 5.8 magnitude at 9:12 am local time. The epicentre was located about 20 kilometres below the seabed off the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula near the islet of Stamfani, also known as Strofades. Before this, a smaller 4.1 magnitude quake was felt.
While Greece’s Civil Defence organisation has not reported any casualties or damage, local media indicated that the tremors were felt strongly in the nearby Olympia region. As a precaution, many schools were evacuated. The quake's effects were also felt in other areas, including the tourist island of Zakynthos and as far as Athens, approximately 300 kilometres away.
Despite the strong tremors, no tsunami warning was issued. This seismic activity is attributed to the meeting of the African and European tectonic plates in the region, making it prone to earthquakes. The deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea, with a depth exceeding 5,000 metres, lies between western Greece and Sicily, Italy.
