5.7 magnitude tremor hits central Greece

A strong earthquake rocked central Greece on Thursday, although there were no immediate reports of casualties, a day after another powerful tremor hit the same area.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) gave a revised magnitude of 5.7 for Thursday’s quake, down from a previous 6. It located in the epicentre of the quake 17 kilometres west of the town of Tyrnavos in central Greece.

Leading Greek seismologist says experts were surprised by the intensity of the latest aftershock on central Greece.

The new earthquake was felt in Thessaloniki, to the north, and as far as Athens, to the south and Patras, in southwestern Greece. The tremor lasted for quite a while, according to people in the area. No injuries or damage have been reported.

A team of engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport was organised in the affected areas. 

Today, a team of 42 engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport conducts inspections to assess the damage to the affected buildings (homes, schools, public buildings, health centres) to evaluate the damage.

Until the end of today, checks have been carried out in 294 buildings and 35 school units in Communities of the Municipality of Tyrnavos and Elassona.

Greek authorities have set up tents and have rented hotels in the cities of Trikala and Larissa for people who opted to stay outside their homes for safety.

Seismologists have said they expected a sequence of post-quake activity in the coming days. It was not immediately clear whether the quake on Thursday was part of that activity or a separate seismological event.