A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Evia, northeast of Athens, shortly after midnight on Tuesday, jolting residents awake in the island’s town of Nea Styra and shaking the wider Attica region, including Athens. Authorities and experts stressed there is no reason for alarm, as the seismic sequence is unfolding normally.
The University of Athens geological institute reports that the tremor was recorded at 00:27 local time, with its epicenter located five kilometers west-northwest of Nea Styra, at a depth of 18 kilometers. The quake was widely felt throughout Attica, including western districts of Athens.
The estimates of the strength of the earthquake have been revised several times, as is usual, ranging between 5.2 and as high as 5.5.
Main shock confirmed
Efthymios Lekkas, professor of Geology and president of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (OASP), stated that the event was most likely the main shock. “There is absolutely no reason for concern,” he emphasized, noting that the area historically does not produce stronger earthquakes and is not situated near major faults such as Oropos.
By early morning, around a dozen smaller aftershocks had been recorded, measuring up to 2.7 magnitude.
No damages, precautionary patrols
So far, there have been no reports of significant damages. The Fire Service conducted patrols in southern Evia and eastern Attica, while emergency rescue units (1st and 7th EMAK) were placed on standby. In Athens, fire brigade vehicles patrolled the city’s streets immediately after the quake to check for possible incidents.
Local mayors also confirmed no damages. Marathon mayor Stergios Tsirkas described the quake as “very strong” but said there were no reports of structural damage. Karystos mayor Lefteris Raviolos noted no issues in his municipality, while the head of Nea Styra’s community, Nikos Drakogiannis, mentioned only a single broken shopfront window.
Residents kept outdoors
Many residents of Nea Styra spent the night outside their homes, fearing stronger tremors. “It lasted long and was very loud. We were very worried. It’s the first time we’ve felt such a strong quake in this area,” a local told state broadcaster ERT.
Videos from a local supermarket published by news site evima.gr showed goods falling from shelves at the moment of the quake.
Emergency committee meeting
The Committee for the Assessment of Seismic Risk met overnight and concluded there is no heightened danger. It confirmed that the epicentral area is one of low seismicity, with no expectation of stronger activity.
