World

Crete hit by large 6.4 earthquake sparking tsunami warning

A large 6.4 magnitude earthquake has hit the Greek holiday island of Crete and a tsunami warning has been issued.

The quake struck the east coast of the island at a depth of 10km under the village of Palekastro, according to the US Geological Survey.

The village is 84km from Agios Nikolaos which is a popular destination for British tourists.

It comes three weeks after another tremor killed a man on the island and damaged hundreds of buildings.

There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injury after Tuesday’s earthquake.

Authorities said police and fire crews were checking buildings in eastern Crete for damage.

The quake was also felt on Greek islands to the east of Crete, including Karpathos, Kassos and Rhodes.

More on Earthquakes

Crete’s deputy regional governor, Yiannis Leondarakis, told Greece’s state-run radio: “The quake was felt all over the island, and it did cause concern because we are still feeling the aftershocks from the previous quake.”

Hundreds of people from villages south of the island’s largest city, Heraklion, remain homeless following a 5.8-magnitude quake that struck on 27 September.

A man was killed while carrying out restoration work at a church that was damaged in the area.

Residents whose homes were damaged were moved to hotels and tents set up by the army.

Mr Leondarakis said of Tuesday’s earthquake: “Fortunately, there does not appear to be any serious damage despite the fact that it was a strong event and occurred at a shallow depth.”

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