Greece earthquake: Locals, tourists flee buildings as some injured
A strong earthquake shook Greece, causing frightened residents and tourists to run into the capital’s streets after it left several buildings damaged.
Authorities said four people were hospitalised with injuries, but none of them were serious.
Firefighters checked for people trapped in elevators amid power outages after the brief but jolting quake.
In central Athens, the Acropolis Museum was evacuated and closed for the rest of the day as a precaution, but the city’s ancient monuments remained open.
Police patrols and helicopters were deployed to inspect areas close to the earthquake’s epicentre near the town of Magoula.
The patrols were scheduled to continue overnight as many local residents were expected to sleep outdoors waiting for aftershocks to subside.
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said an abandoned building collapsed in western Athens and several other abandoned buildings elsewhere in the city had serious damage.
“I urge members of the public to remains calm. In Greece, we are well-acquainted with earthquakes,” he said.
The most powerful quake to hit the Greek capital in the last 20 years came in 1999, when a temblor of magnitude 6.0 caused extensive damage and killed more than 140 people.
After Friday’s quake, fire brigades reported receiving dozens of calls about people trapped in elevators. The shaking was caught on live cameras in the studios of state broadcaster ERT.