A powerful earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck at 1.50 am on May 14, between the Greek islands of Kasos and Karpathos, according to revised data from the Geodynamic Institute of Athens. The epicentre was located 20 kilometres south of Kasos, with a focal depth of 64.4 km.
The tremor was strongly felt in Crete, Rhodes, and Kos, prompting authorities to issue a precautionary tsunami warning.
An emergency message from the Ministry of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection was sent via 112 to residents in southern Greece, urging them to move away from the coast due to “risk of a possible tsunami event.”
The alert referred to an earlier estimate of a 4.9-magnitude quake, 48 km southeast of Kasos.
Seismologist and president of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (OASP), Efthymios Lekkas, said the earthquake’s main characteristic was its significant depth of 60 km.
“This means that the movement reached Kasos and Karpathos, essentially reduced, and much more so in Crete,” he told ERT, noting no major damage had been reported so far.
He added that such deep earthquakes typically occur without significant pre- or post-seismic activity. “These earthquakes occur alone,” he said, calling it a positive sign.
Addressing public concerns, Lekkas clarified: “There is absolutely no connection with the earthquakes in Santorini and Turkey. The geodynamic framework is completely different. We are right on the Greek arc.”
Source: iefimerida.
