An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter scale was recorded on Tuesday evening in a sea region off the Ionian Island of Zakynthos, western Greece.

The earthquake was recorded at 19.53 local time.

According to the Athens Observatory’s Geodynamic Institute, the quake was pinpointed at 39 kilometers southwest of the Aghios Leontas site on Zakynthos, and at a focal depth of 9.7 kilometers.

Seismologists are scrutinizing the development, as the wider Ionian Sea region is a highly quake-prone area and has yielded devastating tremors over the past several decades.

Cephalonia island was devastated by a 6.8 on the Richter scale earthquake in 1953, claiming the life of up to 800 people.