6.2 earthquake strikes near Crete, Greece; shaking felt as far as Israel and Egypt

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 struck near the Greek island of Crete on early Thursday, according to seismologists. Shaking was felt across the region, including parts of Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus.

The tremor occurred at 6:19 a.m. local time on Thursday and was centered north of Crete, according to preliminary data from the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at a depth of 64 kilometers (40 miles).

The epicenter was located approximately 59 kilometers (37 miles) from Ágios Nikólaos and about 74 kilometers (46 miles) from Irákleion, both on the island of Crete.

Tremors were reported across the Aegean Islands and parts of mainland Greece, including in Athens. More distant reports of shaking came from Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus.

“Short, but a heavy one. A big tremble, the whole house was shaking and it woke me up,” read a user-submitted report from Ágios Nikólaos on the EMSC website.

The region is part of one of Europe’s most seismically active zones, where the African and Eurasian tectonic plates converge. Earthquakes are common in this area, particularly along the Hellenic Arc, which has historically produced large and damaging events.

Thursday’s quake follows another magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck the Mediterranean Sea last week. That earlier tremor was also strongly felt in Crete and the Aegean Islands, with shaking reported as far away as Egypt and Israel.