Quake rattles southern Greece, widely felt in Athens; no immediate damage reports

ATHENS – An earthquake has rattled southern Greece and was widely felt in the capital, Athens. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury and no tsunami warnings.

The U.S. Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 5.6, while the European Mediterranean Seismological Center gave it as 5.8. It is common for different seismology centres to give varying magnitudes.

The quake struck at 6:45 a.m. local time (0345 GMT) and had an epicenter beneath the seabed about 140 kilometres (86 miles) south of Athens and near the island of Milos.

Greek radio stations receiving call-ins from listeners said the quake was widely felt across the country, from the southern island of Crete to northern Greece.

Greece lies in a highly seismically active part of the Mediterranean, but most quakes cause no damage or injuries.