Quake Measuring 6.0 Recorded Off Crete

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 was recorded northwest of the Greek island of Crete on Wednesday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

EMSC said it was recorded at a depth of 56 kilometers between the islands of Crete and Kythera, and was felt as far as Athens, 265 kilometers (165 miles) away. There were no immediate reports of damage.

“It went on for a long time. I was outside and I could here the rails on the balconies creaking,” a witness at Efthymi in Crete wrote on the EMSC website.

“Strongest I have ever felt. House shook dramatically, scary … felt that it wouldn’t stop. A very long few seconds!” wrote another, 47 kilometers from the epicenter.

Greece is in an earthquake-prone zone and tremors are common.