Earthquake of 5.2 Magnitude Shakes Greek Island

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.2 struck off the Greek island of Euboea shortly after midnight, shaking the capital Athens and surrounding areas. Authorities confirmed there were no casualties or reports of damage.

According to the Institute of Geodynamics at the National Observatory of Athens, the tremor occurred at 00:30 local time, with its epicenter located just four kilometers from the coastal resort of Nea Stira in southwestern Euboea. The quake’s origin was about 45 kilometers northeast of Athens, making it strongly felt in the city.

Stergios Tsirkas, mayor of Marathon, one of the towns closest to the epicenter, described the shock as “very intense” in comments to state broadcaster ERT. Despite the strength of the tremor, emergency services said no serious incidents had been recorded.

This latest quake follows several significant seismic events in Greece over the past year. In May, Crete was hit by a powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake, felt not only across the island but also in Athens and as far away as Egypt. Earlier in the year, Santorini - one of Greece’s most popular tourist destinations - experienced an unusual surge in seismic activity. Thousands of minor tremors in January and February forced many residents to leave temporarily, though most have since returned.

Seismic risk is a constant in Greece, which lies on multiple fault lines in the southeastern Mediterranean. Earthquakes occur frequently, though most cause little harm. The last deadly incident was in October 2020 on the Aegean island of Samos, when a magnitude 7 quake killed two people locally and more than 100 in the Turkish city of Izmir.