Magnitude 5.9 quake hits Greek island Crete

ISTANBUL

An earthquake struck south of the Greek island of Crete on May 2, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said but there were no reports of casualties or damage.

The magnitude 5.9 quake was at a relatively shallow depth of 10 km (6 miles), EMSC said. The center first reported the quake at a strong 6.5 magnitude.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake struck about 55 km south of the city of Ierapetra.

Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the closest residential area to the region in Turkey was the Datça district of Muğla on the Aegean coast and no incident was reported from the area.

Greece is in an earthquake-prone zone and tremors are common. There were no reports of casualties or damage, police, the fire brigade and civil protection authorities said.