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Tuesday, 26 November 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-04-11Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Strong 5.7R quake again jolts ZakynthosA strong earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale jolted the island of Zakynthos and most of western Greece in the first hours of Tuesday, preceded by two moderate tremblers measuring 4.4R and 4.7R, and coming seven days after another 5.7R quake from the same epicentre. Tuesday's earthquake caused some panic, while damage was restricted to some minor cracks in a few old buildings and two Venetian bridges, according to early reports.Seismologists did not rule out the prospect of a larger quake, but said it was more likely that the largest aftershock would not have a magnitude greater than 5.0R, while the Athens Observatory's Geodynamic Institute director, seismologist George Stavrakakis, in statements to ANA-MPA, assessed that given the 5.7R quake of April 5 combined with Tuesday's 5.7R quake, the seismic pressure build-up in the area has been diffused. A 4.8R quake also struck the region on April 3. The 5.7R earthquake was recorded at 3:02 a.m. on Tuesday, at a distance of 380 kilometres southwest of Thessaloniki, with its epicentre in the sea area some 15 kilometres off the southern coast of Zakynthos, coming from the same epicentre as the April 3 and 5 quakes. It was preceded by a 4.4R quake at 00:10 a.m. and a 4.7R quake at 00:27 a.m. Zakynthos prefect D. Gasparos told ANA-MPA that no serious has been caused by the seismic activity, except for minor cracks in a few old buildings and two Venetian bridges, but added that he had decided that schools would remain closed for the day so that a team of engineers could inspect the school buildings. "We, here, on Zakynthos are calm," the prefect said, but did not hide his concern over the seismic activity in the area over the past week. ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |