Seismologists are reassuring the people of Lesvos, Greece after a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck the eastern Aegean island on Tuesday evening. No injuries were reported.
The Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens identified the epicenter as being 8 km east-southeast of the coastal town of Mithymna, at a depth of 14.6 km.
The tremor was also strongly felt on the nearby island of Chios and in the Turkish port city of Izmir. The earthquake caused rockslides between the areas of Argennos and Vafios in northern Lesvos. According to Themis Kammenos, president of the Lepetymnos Community, the road in that area is currently closed.
According to the mayor of Western Lesvos, Taxiarchis Verros, “There have been no reports of damage to the schools, but we are conducting inspections this morning as a precautionary measure.”
All schools in the municipal units of Mantamados, Mithymna and Petra of the municipality of Western Lesvos will be closed on Wednesday as necessary inspections will be underway in school buildings to record any potential damage.
No need to worry
Professor Efthymios Lekkas, an expert in Dynamic Tectonic Applied Geology & Disaster Management and President of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, noted that eight aftershocks measuring between 1.5 and 2.5 on the Richter scale followed the initial earthquake.
“It seems we are witnessing a gradual release of the phenomenon. There is no need to worry; the structures on the island can withstand stronger earthquakes.”
However, he emphasized that the area requires monitoring, as it has high seismic activity, particularly in the nearby regions of Turkey, more so than on the island of Lesbos itself.
Athanasios Ganas, director of research at the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, said the earthquake, which he described as shallow, strong and underwater, was caused by a fault being activated for the first time.
“We do not know if this is the main earthquake; we need to wait. This is a fault we are seeing activated for the first time. It is different from the fault that caused the 2023 earthquakes in the Lepetymnos area of Lesvos, which reached a magnitude of up to 4.9,” Ganas explained.
The earthquake was a reminder of the seismic activity in the Aegean region, which is prone to frequent earthquakes due to the tectonic activity between the African and Eurasian plates.
2017 earthquake on Lesvos
On June 12, 2017, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Lesvos resulting in several injuries and significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. Some structures, including older buildings and historic sites, suffered from cracks and collapse.
Despite the severity of the quake, no fatalities were reported, but damage was extensive, especially to poorly constructed buildings. .