A magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocked the Greek island of Crete on Monday morning. At least one person has died. Nine others were injured.
The quake was also felt on other islands, including Santorini. People left their homes in panic, and schoolchildren left their classrooms. There have been several aftershocks.
The epicentre of the quake has been located by the National Observatory 23 kilometres south of Heraklion, the capital of Crete. “It felt pretty strong and lasted for many seconds,” the mayor of Heraklion told Skai.
The deceased person was working on the renovation of a church in Arkalochori. The roof of the house of worship collapsed due to the earthquake. Nine people were slightly injured. Several buildings in Arkalochori have been damaged. Old buildings have collapsed in the Heraklion area. According to initial reports, the damage appears to be limited to certain parts of Crete.
In the village of Kalyves, which is not near the epicentre, according to the Dutch Carmen Kleinegris (64), life “goes on”. Kleinegris were staying on the island and woke up to her bed shaking. For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming. “Was this real? I asked myself.” She says she wasn’t shocked. “Earthquakes are more common in these types of areas.”
