Epicenter under the island measured 6.3 on Richter; 1 woman killed in Greece; nobody hurt in Israel.
By JPOST STAFF, APrichter scale 224.88(photo credit: Courtesy )
Tremors of a powerful earthquake with an epicenter near the Greek island of Rhodes were felt throughout Israel on Tuesday morning.
According to Israeli reports, the quake measured 6.8 on the Richter Scale, and was felt in Israel at 6:35 a.m, primarily in the northern and central parts of the country.
While nobody was wounded in Israel and no damage was reported, in Greece a 56-year-old woman was killed after falling down a flight of stairs while she ran towards safety.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake struck at 6:26 a.m. (0326 GMT) with its epicenter located 445 kilometers (275 miles) southeast of Athens, beneath the seabed south of Rhodes, and was also felt on the islands of Santorini and Crete.
The US Geological Survey gave the magnitude as 6.4. Magnitudes often differ in the first hours and days after an earthquake.
Local authorities in the affected areas 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 70 kilometers (about 45 miles).
Recently in Israel, Health Ministry director-general Prof. Avi Yisraeli issued a letter to all hospitals, health funds and Magen David Adom asking them to ensure that they are prepared for the possibility of an earthquake in the North.
However, when contacted by The Jerusalem Post, Yisraeli said there was absolutely no evidence of an imminent earthquake in the North, despite reports of some unusual seismic activity of some 500 mini-quakes ranging from two to five on the Richter scale in southern Lebanon during the past four months, most of which were not felt anywhere.
Judy Siegel contributed to this report.
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