Magnitude-6.3 earthquake strikes eastern Turkey, Greek island

Allen Cone
United Press International

PLOMARI, Lesbos, Greece (UPI) — A magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck western Turkey and the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday afternoon.

The epicenter was at a depth of 4 miles in the Aegean Sea, 3 miles south of the Greek town of Plomari, on Lesbos island, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It struck at 3:28 p.m.

The BBC reported tremors were felt in Istanbul and Athens.

In Plomari and nearby Mytilene, there were reports of several buildings damaged, roads closed and minor injuries but no casualties.

“We are advising residents in affected areas of Lesbos to remain outdoors until buildings can be inspected,” senior seismologist Efthimios Lekkas said to the Standard.

Turkey’s emergency management agency said no casualties were reported.

“We will be seeing the aftershocks of this in the coming hours, days and weeks,” Haluk Ozener, head of Turkey’s Kandilli observatory in Istanbul, said to BBC.

In March 2010, at least 51 people were killed in a 6-magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey.

In 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake hit northwest Turkey, killing more than 17,000 people and leaving half a million more homeless.

Also in 1999, a 6-magnitude earthquake struck near Athens, killing 143 people.