A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Greece early Friday, briefly triggering a tsunami warning. No significant damage has been reported.
The quake hit at a shallow depth of 16.6km (10 miles) below the sea floor. It reached the island of Zakynthos, a popular tourist destination, with first reports indicating that some of the buildings there have sustained damage.
A photo showing debris lying on the floor and dangling wires has been posted by a local resident.
However, the majority of the buildings appeared to be intact. "Minimal damage. Back to bed," a tourist, apparently vacationing on Zakynthos, tweeted.
Go to #Greece they said… Nice relaxing holiday they said… #Zakynthos is lovely this time of year they said… #earthquake on a full moon… Rather unsettling.
But both the people and buildings here made of strong stuff so… So far … So good. Minimal damage. Back to bed. pic.twitter.com/aqDgJw3Xx7
— Dan #Type2Diabetes Free (@dansodergren) October 26, 2018
The Tower of the 13th century Castro Monastery in the Strofades, small islands to the southeast of Zakynthos, has also been affected in the quake, though the extent of the damage is unclear.
The quake was so powerful the jolts were felt across the region in at least eight countries, including Malta, Libya, Italy, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Turkey, according to the EMSC.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) warned about a possible low-scale tsunami that could last for several hours after the earthquake, citing sea level changes following the tremor.
It is small about 15-20 cm BUT DO NOT TRY TO OBSERVE IT it can be locally significantly bigger
— EMSC (@LastQuake) October 25, 2018
Locals were advised against going to the beach to try and observe the tsunami. On Twitter, the EMSC cautioned that while in most places the wave will likely be limited to 20cm (about 7in) high, it could be significantly bigger locally.
At least six aftershocks have been reported in the wake of the quake.
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