Central Greece shaken by a surprising earthquake doublet

A strong earthquake doublet struck Central Greece on March 3rd and 4th 2021.

According to the United States Geological Survey, an M6.3 earthquake hit central Greece early afternoon on Wednesday March 3rd 2021. The National Observatory of Athens, Institute of Geodynamics, located the epicenter of the quake at 21km south of the town of Elassona, near the city of Larissa. Moreover, the German Research Centre for Geosciences reported a depth of the seismic source at 10 km. The earthquake was felt across most of Central and Northern Greece.

Right after the tremblor, the residents of Larissa rushed into the streets. "I have never experienced anything like this before, I immediately left the house," a citizen in Larissa told ERT, the greek state television. According to the Greek Fire Fighting Department, a building collapsed at the village of Mesochori, Elassona, but no injuries or deaths were immediately reported.

Moreover, a powerful aftershock of magnitude M5.9 hit the same area one day later, on Friday March 4th, causing additional damage to hundreds of homes. According to the National Observatory of Athens, Institute of Geodynamics, the aftershock once again occurred outside the town of Elassona, a few kilometers north of the epicenter of the main March 3 M6.2 shock.

Local and national authorities indicated that some empty houses, abandoned after suffering damage by the seismic loading of the first earthquake, collapsed in several villages near Elasona, but no injuries were reported. Nonetheless, authorities advised people in the area to remain outdoors.

“We are advising people not to return to their homes in the area near the epicenter,” said Efthymios Lekkas, head of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization. “This latest event came from a section of the faultline that we had not considered to be active. It surprised us.”, Lekkas added.