Magnitude 6.3 quake rattles Crete, causes minor damage

Athens - Pictures on social media suggested a chapel collapsed due to the event

A powerful earthquake struck Crete on Tuesday, causing minor damage on the Greek island in the Mediterranean, with the tremor felt as far away as Cyprus.

There were no immediate reports of casualties after the magnitude 6.3 tremor, which the Athens Geodynamic Institute said was centred at sea about 23 km (14 miles) east of the village of Zakros in eastern Crete.

The quake, which was shallow at a depth of 2 km, was felt by residents of the island of Rhodes and by people living in high-rise buildings in Cyprus, 600 km east of Crete.

Pictures on social media suggested a chapel collapsed in the village of Xerokampos, in eastern Crete.

“We don't have reports of injuries,” a fire brigade official told Reuters. “There might be some minor damages to old buildings.”

A Greek seismologist said Tuesday’s quake came from a different fault.