A strong earthquake struck the island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea with its epicenter 23 km southwest of the main town of Lefkada.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute says the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 and occurred at 9:10 a.m. (0710 GMT) Tuesday off Greece’s western mainland, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) west of Athens.

People rushed out of their houses in shock as loose objects fell from shelves.

The quake was felt in the neighboring islands Kefalonia and Ithaki with landslides on farm roads.

Sources state that the hardest-hit area on the island of Lefkada was the village of Athani, near the epicenter. People rushed out of their houses as these crumbled and at least one woman is stuck under the debris.

Patients at Lefkada hospital rushed out of their roads, whereas residents at the village of Karya -also near the focal point – were left without electricity and phone lines were cut.

Earthquakes are common in Greece – one of the world’s most seismically active areas.  People still remember the severe quake near Athens, when more than 100 people died  on September 7, 1999.

Patra



Trikala