Strong earthquake rattles southern Greece

updated 10:01 a.m. ET Jan. 8, 2006

ATHENS, Greece - A powerful earthquake shook Greece on Sunday and was felt as far away as the Middle East and Italy. Minor damage was reported in southern Greece, and authorities on the island of Crete said three people were slightly injured.

No tsunami warnings were issued.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the epicenter of the 6.9-magnitude quake was located beneath the seabed about 125 miles south of Athens and 12 miles east of the island of Kithira in the Sea of Crete.

“It was a very powerful quake which shook all of Greece. There have been dozens of aftershocks,” institute head Giorgos Stavrakakis said. “The quake occurred deep undersea and that’s what saved us.”

Stavrakakis said he did not expect any serious aftershocks.

The earthquake, which lasted for several seconds, occurred at 1:34 p.m. and was felt as far away as Cairo, Egypt, about 745 miles southeast of the epicenter.

The quake also was felt across southern Italy but there were no reports of damage or injuries, Italian news reports said.

Clarice Nassif Ransom, a U.S. Geological Survey spokeswoman in Washington, said scientists project that as many as 6 million people may have felt the earthquake.

Police on Crete, just south of Kithira, said three people suffered minor injuries.

On Kithira, regional governor Yiannis Mihas said 50 homes in the village of Mitata were damaged, and the village church was close to collapse.

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