Aftershock activity to continue on Cephalonia
The possibility of more tremors hitting the island of Cephalonia as part of aftershock activity following the 5.9 Richter quake that struck the area on Sunday was high, the research director of the Athens Geodynamic Institute, Gerasimos Papadopoulos, told Skai television on Wednesday morning.
Sunday’s tremor was most likely the main shock, said Papadopoulos.
Two aftershocks measuring 4.2 Richter each were recorded on the Ionian island at 12.30 a.m. on Wednesday, while 23 quakes measuring over 4 Richter had been recorded since Sunday.
According to the institute’s seismologists further aftershock activity that could reach up to 5 Richter could lead to more damage to buildings.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras arrived on the island late Tuesday on an unscheduled visit in order to witness the damage caused by Sunday’s earthquake and was expected to visit the worst-stricken areas on Wednesday.
Over 1,000 residents of Cephalonia whose homes suffered damage spent Sunday and Monday night on two ferry boats dispatched the island to provide temporary shelter, while hundreds more slept in their cars or spent the night at public squares.
