Greece earthquake: 6.9-magnitude tremor felt in Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

Greece was shaken by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake today which was felt in Athens and sent locals into the streets in Larissa close to where the tremor struck.  

Witnesses in Larissa said that ‘buildings were shaking’ and ‘dust was rising’ with one house said to have ‘shaken like a ship’ following the quake. 

Local media said people had fled their homes amid the tremor which made itself felt not only in Athens but also in the capitals of nearby Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. 

‘I have never experienced anything like this before, I immediately left the house,’ a citizen in Larissa told Greek television. 

Numerous aftershocks were reported following the quake around noon local time, and some buildings were damaged – but there were no reports of casualties. 

The mayor of Elassona, a town near Larissa, told Greek media that teachers and pupils had been evacuated from schools while any damage is investigated. 

‘The phenomenon was very intense, but I’ve been halfway around the city and we will not have much damage,’ the mayor said.  

One aftershock with a magnitude of 4.4 was recorded only four miles from Elassona, according to Greek broadcaster ERT. 

Damage was reported at a school in the village of Damasi, while the fire brigade rescued an elderly man from a house that partly collapsed in the village of Mesochori.  

In Athens, students were told to stay out of university buildings because of fears that aftershocks would cause havoc in the historic capital.  

There were also fears of damage to telephone lines, with mobile networks said to be having difficulty in the city of Volos.  

The quake’s epicentre was measured at 14 miles from Larissa, with a depth of around five miles, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre. 

The EMSC put the magnitude at 6.9 but estimates varied, with the United States Geological Survey pegging it at 6.3.   

Greece lies in a highly seismically active region, although the vast majority of earthquakes cause no damage or injuries.

Last October, an earthquake that struck the Aegean island of Samos and the nearby Turkish coast killed two people on Samos and at least 75 people in Turkey.