Greek island of Cephalonia hit by third strong earthquake of the past week

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the western Greek island of Cephalonia early Monday morning. This is the second quake of that magnitude, and the third strong quake to shake the island in just over a week.

Residents of the island were roused at just after 5 a.m. Monday morning as the ground shook, sending them rushing out of their beds and into the street. The quake, measured as magnitude 6.1 by the US Geological Survey, hit just offshore of the west coast of the island. The epicentre was located roughly 20 kilometres northwest of where a quake of the same strength struck just to the south of the small town of Lixouri, on the afternoon on Sunday, January 26th. It was felt throughout the island, and parts of the mainland as far away as the capital city of Athens, 300 kilometres to the east.

According to CBC News, authorities have reported over a dozen people injured, some needing to be taken away by ambulance. Buildings and roads have suffered minor damage, as well as the port in the town of Lixouri. Some communities have lost power.

Aftershocks of the January 26th quake have been rattling both the island, and its inhabitants' nerves, over the past week. Since the initial quake, hundreds of aftershocks have been recorded, with over 40 of them measuring magnitude 4.0 or greater — strong enough to be felt and to possibly cause minor damage to buildings. Two — one of magnitude 5.4 just hours after the initial quake, and another measuring magnitude 5.0 on Saturday morning — were the strongest so far, and this second M6.1 quake, likely yet another aftershock, now tops that list. More aftershocks are expected, especially after this latest strong shake-up.

The serious damage done to buildings by last Sunday's quake, along with the near-constant aftershocks have kept schools closed on the island, and they aren't expected to open until Wednesday. Many residents have been displaced from their homes, either staying elsewhere or being housed on ships that were sent to the port to assist. With this latest major quake, people are being urged to leave their homes and to stay away from any buildings that appear to have damage.

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Although this is one of five magnitude 6.0+ quakes to strike this region in the past 15 years or so, the past week of rattling and shaking is bringing a far more destructive quake to people's minds. On August 15th, 1953, a devastating earthquake shook the islands of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, registering as magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale. It destroyed many buildings on Cephalonia, and all but two buildings on Zakynthos had to be completely rebuilt. Over 450 people were killed in the quake, and many of the island's surviving residents ended up leaving afterwards, never to return. With this devastation happening only days after a 6.4 earthquake shook the islands, it's understandable for people living there to be a little bit nervous about it possibly happening again.

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