Firefighters in Thessaloniki extinguished a large fire at Arista supermarket early yesterday. Around 50 firefighters using 21 trucks fought the blaze, which authorities say started in the supermarket’s storage facilities. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire, which led to damage of about 3 million euros, authorities added.

An intercity train heading toward Alexandroupolis was derailed late last night, authorities said. The train struck a truck on a level crossing outside the city of Drama in northeastern Greece. Initial reports said that two carriages were derailed and a number of people were injured.

An earthquake measuring 5.4 Richter shook Zakynthos early yesterday but did not cause any injuries or damage, authorities said. The quake struck the Ionian island at 12.25 a.m. It is the seventh quake above 5 Richter to hit Zakynthos in less than two weeks. Some 20 aftershocks have also been recorded during that time. The biggest quake during this period was a 5.9-Richter tremor on Tuesday. The epicenter of yesterday’s quake was south of Zakynthos, where the other recent earthquakes originated.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis yesterday urged closer cooperation among member states of the Southeastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and pledged that Greece would support efforts of non-European Union members to join the EU. The premier was speaking to culture ministers from member states of SEECP, who had gathered yesterday in Thessaloniki. Karamanlis said he believed membership of the EU for all SEECP members was “the only way we can transform our area into a European neighborhood and remove it from its traumatic past.”

Officers from Attica’s anti-drug squad yesterday arrested a bar owner and four customers after raiding an establishment in the district of Gazi in the early hours. Police raided the bar, which was not named, after being tipped off about the frequent dealing and consumption of drugs. Officers confiscated 10 small packets of cocaine and one ecstasy tablet.