Northern Greece rocked by 5.0-magnitude earthquake

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2016
Northern Greece rocked by 5.0-magnitude earthquake

Athens - Northern Greece was hit by a 5.0-magnitude earthquake early on Saturday, causing panic in a region already shaken by numerous tremors in recent weeks.

Athens' Geodynamic Institute put the quake's magnitude at 5.0, while the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) estimated the magnitude at 4.7.

With an epicentre north-west of the port city of Thessaloniki, close to Kilkis, the earthquake could be felt as far as Bulgaria and Macedonia, according to media reports.

"It was pretty intense," Manolis Kaparos, a resident of Thessaloniki,told dpa. "My entire family ran out onto the street."

Seismologists said the earthquake felt particularly strong as it took place just 4 to 5 kilometres beneath the earth's surface.

No major structural damage was reported to police, according to stateradio broadcaster ERT.