Greece earthquake latest: Powerful 6.8 magnitude quake strikes off island of Zakynthos

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck near the island of Zakynthos
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Patrick Grafton-Green26 October 2018

A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck off the west coast of Greece.

The quake struck in the Ionian Sea close to the tourist island of Zakynthos, also known as Zante, early on Friday morning.

It was felt as far away as Athens, 174 miles to the north-east of the island.

The US Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake, which had a depth of nine miles, was 20 miles southwest of Mouzaki in the southern part of the island.

The earthquake was felt as far away as Athens 
EPA

Tremors were first felt just before 2am local time.

They sparked a small tsunami of 15 to 20cm on local beaches, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

Greece's fire service said no significant damage has been reported so far, but power has been cut off in the island capital, which is also called Zakynthos.

The main harbour for the island was damaged but still functional, civil protection agency press spokesman Spyros Georgiou said.

"We're checking out the villages on the island, where there are several older buildings," Mr Georgiou said. "The lack of electricity is a problem, but technicians are trying to restore power."

Rockfalls were reported in another part of the island, and part of a church wall collapsed on the mainland town of Pyrgos, in the southern Peloponnese area.

The quake was felt strongly throughout western Greece.

Another two shocks hit Zakynthos just before and shortly after the magnitude 6.8 one but were not as strong.

Thousands of earthquakes recorded every year in Greece but few cause injuries or significant damage.

In 1999, a magnitude 5.9 quake on the outskirts of Athens killed 143 people. Zakynthos has had severe earthquakes in the past, and as a result has a very strict building safety code.

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