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Greece earthquake: Tremors hit Levant and North Africa

Earthquake of about 6.0 magnitude hits the eastern Mediterranean, reaching cities from Egypt to Palestine
A woman looks at a damaged chapel following an earthquake near the village of Zakros, on the eastern coast of the island of Crete, on 12 October 2021 (AFP)

An earthquake struck off Greece’s coast on Tuesday morning at around 8am local time, reportedly reaching cities in Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Palestine.

The tremor, which is estimated by the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) to have reached a magnitude of about 6.0, had its epicentre close to the island of Rhodes. 

Earthquake map

A witness in Lindos, Rhodes, confirmed the earthquake and posted on the EMSC’s website that it lasted for 30 seconds. 

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage in any of the affected countries. 

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Israel’s energy ministry issued safety advice after the tremor, which was reportedly felt all the way to Jerusalem.

This is the third time Greece has been struck by an earthquake in a month, with two powerful quakes recently rattling Crete, killing one person and damaging buildings.

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