Crete earthquake: Large tremor hits Mediterranean island causing fears of damage

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck the island of Crete in Greece on Wednesday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences said.

The quake was at a depth of 83 km – or 51.57 miles, the centre added.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a slightly lower quake, at 6.1 magnitude.

The current damage to the island is not currently known, though the USGS estimates that there is little risk of landslides or liquefaction, the loss of the ground’s structural integrity, occurring.

According to the USGS, tremors will likely have been felt across dozens of Greece’s islands, as well as the western coast of Turkey.

Tremors are also likely to have been felt inland, around the Muğla and Aydın provinces of Turkey.

Shaking was reported as far as Egypt, Syria and Israel.

The region lies in one of the most seismically active zones in Europe, where the African and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.