Crete jolted by 5.7R quake

According to the Geodynamic Institute, the earthquake occurred in the sea area 7 kilometers southwest of Goudouras, Lasithi, while its focal depth was located at 5 kilometers.

What seismologists say about the 5.7 Richter earthquake that shook Crete: “There was an alert, since 14/4 we had a pre-earthquake sequence”

According to the Mayor of Sitia, Giorgos Zervakis, “the earthquake was intense and had a long duration. This created unrest among the residents, who are still feeling vibrations, since aftershocks are probably being recorded”.

Both the Mayor of Sitia and the Mayor of Ierapetra, Manolis Fragoulis, who have communicated, as they emphasized since early this morning, with all the agencies, recommend calmness to the citizens, emphasizing that the phenomenon is being monitored. From the checks that have been carried out so far by the Fire Department, there have been no reports of damage.

However, up to this time, in the same area, after the 5.7 Richter, five more earthquakes with an intensity of 3.5 to 3.8 Richter have been recorded.

What do seismologists say about the 5.7 Richter earthquake in Lasithi
Vassilis Karastathis, director of the Geodynamic Institute, noted about the earthquake in Crete, speaking to ERT:

"It is a typical strong earthquake for the area. That arc is south of Crete. At the moment we are observing something familiar for the Greek area. The special feature of this case is that it had a pre-earthquake sequence. Since the 14th of the month, a pre-earthquake sequence had appeared in the area. When there is a sequence that persists, we are cautious about what may come. There was an alert for the area. On the 19th of the month, we had a foreshock of over 4-4.5 on the Richter scale. The 5.7 Richter earthquake was felt in the area. It is at a safe distance, that is, a distance of 25 km from the area ensures some reduction in damage. If it were in Hersonissos, we would have different results. It is likely to be the main earthquake. We will probably have an aftershock of the order of 4.7 on the Richter scale.”

The president of the OASP, Efthimios Lekkas, spoke about the earthquake this morning on ERTnews and the show “Connections.”

As he stated: “We have an earthquake south of Lasithi. The first magnitude is 5.5 in the sea area at a depth of 5 kilometers. We have not yet seen the exact data of the earthquake because it is the automatic system, I believe that it is an earthquake that would have been felt widely in Crete, Kasos and Karpathos, but we do not have more data at the moment. We are essentially waiting for the recordings to be able to assess the entire situation.

It is close to Cherso, it must have been particularly felt throughout Lasithi and the rest of Crete. At the moment, the exact size and exact location are being calculated, at 5 kilometers the earthquake is superficial, but we will know the individual details and the exact details in a little while.

At the same time, seismologist Akis Tselentis proceeded to an immediate post on Facebook, attempting to reassure the public, explaining the characteristics of the phenomenon and giving clear instructions for the coming hours.

According to his assessment, the tremor is part of an already active seismic sequence in the area, while he underlines that the phenomenon is considered expected. He also warns of the possibility of small sea seismic waves, noting that even waves half a meter high can be dangerous, especially for small children.

For this reason, it is recommended to avoid swimming in the coming days, until there is a full picture of seismic activity.