Cephalonia hit by second large earthquake, several injuries reported
A second large earthquake has struck Cephalonia in just over a week after a tremor measuring 5.7 Richter was recorded on the Ionian island at 5.08 a.m. on Monday.
The new quake’s epicentre was 12 kilometers northwest of Argostoli, according to the Geodynamic Institute in Athens, and was felt on other Ionian islands and in parts of the Peloponnese and western Greece.
Several aftershocks, the largest of which measured 4.5 on the Richter scale, followed.
Dozens of buildings were left beyond repair in the previous quake last Sunday but it is not clear what damage the latest tremor has done. There were early reports of nine injuries on Monday morning. An EMAK rescue team was sent to the island as a precaution.
Since last week, hundreds of Cephalonians have been living in two passenger ferries that docked at the island. The latest tremor comes amid rain and strong winds. Schools will remain closed at least until Wednesday so checks can be carried out.
The head of the Geodynamic Institute, Dimitra Sachpazi, said that Monday’s earthquake emanated from the same seismic area as Sunday’s tremor.
She said that large aftershocks would follow in the days to come and did not rule out activity from the area that produced an earthquake that devastated the island in 1953.
