Published on : Monday, February 3, 2014
Kefalonia, a western Greek island was hit by an earthquake of 5.7 to 6.1 magnitudes during the early hours of 03.02.14. Residents came out in the streets in a state of panic. The earthquake occurred just over a week after hundreds of buildings were damaged in a similar quake. Lixouri the second largest town close to the epicenter reported some damages revealed Kefalonia Mayor Alexandros Parisis.
However, no reports have come in so far of any serious injuries or home collapses. Authorities have yet to receive more information on the quake. People have been warned to exert caution.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute registered the pre-dawn quake, which struck just after 5 a.m. local time with a magnitude of 5.7 and an epicenter 12 kilometres northwest of the island’s capital of Argostoli. The U.S. Geological Survey registered a 6.1-magnitude. It is common for institutes to register different figures and to revise their initial measurements.
Earthquakes have been rattling the island constantly for the past week, after a 5.9-magnitude temblor struck the area on Jan. 26, damaging homes and slightly injuring seven people. Since then, thousands of residents have been spending nights with relatives or in ships sent for that reason.
The intense seismic activity has reawakened memories of the devastating 1953 quakes on Kefalonia and neighbouring Zakinthos, when a 7.2-magnitude temblor struck three days after a 6.4 quake, killing hundreds, injuring thousands and destroying nearly all the buildings on the islands.
Seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos said that the earthquake appeared to be a strong aftershock to the Jan. 26 temblor, rather than an entirely unrelated quake.
It has been reported that the initial data indicates that it is the strongest aftershock until now. The quakes are far away from almost 300 KM from Athens and more on the western Greek mainland. People are to leave their islands temporarily said Kefalonia’s mayor.
Residents have said that water supply to the area had been cut, and residents who had fled their homes also had to cope with intense bad weather, with strong rain and low temperatures.
