The Greek island of Rhodes was hit by a preliminary magnitude 6.3 earthquake early Tuesday. One woman died after she slipped and fell while trying to run from her home, but no major damage was reported to any of the island's historical sites or buildings.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake struck at 6:26 a.m. (0326 GMT) with its epicenter located 275 miles southeast of Athens, beneath the seabed south of Rhodes. It was also felt on the islands of Santorini and Crete.
Local authorities appealed for calm, and seismologists said that while Rhodes lies in a seismically active area, major aftershocks were not expected. The quake occurred at a depth of about 45 miles.
"Such earthquakes are usually characterized by a very small post-seismic activity," said seismologist Giorgos Stavrakakis. "We must all contribute to maintaining calm in the area."
Greece is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, but most of the quakes do not cause damage or injuries.
On June 8, a 6.5 quake struck near the western port city of Patras, about 120 miles west of Athens, killing two people, injuring more than 200 and damaging hundreds of buildings. In 1999, a magnitude 5.9 quake near Athens killed 143 people.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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