A powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Crete has caused damage to buildings and infrastructure in Heraklion, with authorities reporting cracked walls, fallen plaster, and even destruction of museum artifacts.

Municipal services in Heraklion have recorded structural damage following the earthquake. The destruction is not limited to dilapidated buildings like the historic Minos Hotel or preserved buildings like the Kothris Mansion, but extends to balcony sections and facades across the city.

Watch video of the earthquake moment:

Significant damage was reported at the old EFKA building in the Agios Minas district, where large chunks of plaster fell from interior walls, and cracks appeared throughout the structure.

In the Petropoulaki Street pedestrian zone, parts of an old house collapsed onto the walkway. A similar scene unfolded on Monis Kardiotissis Street, where the protective mesh failed to prevent debris from an old building from falling onto the path.

On Avlonos Street, a house suffered damage when plaster from a visibly unstable balcony crashed onto the sidewalk.

Artifacts Damaged at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum was also affected by the earthquake. According to exclusive information from Creta24, four exhibits on the first floor were dislodged due to the strong and prolonged tremor, fell from their display case, and broke.

So far, no detailed information has been released regarding the full extent of the damage to the artifacts.

Authorities continue to assess the situation, while engineers inspect impacted buildings for safety concerns.