Concern was sparked among the residents of Rhodes by the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred off the island in the early hours of Tuesday.

The seismic activity was also felt in Turkey, where, according to Turkish media, a 14-year-old girl lost her life and another 69 people were injured.

As Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced, the teenager “was transported to a hospital” after she “suffered a panic attack,” where “unfortunately, despite the doctors’ efforts,” she passed away.

Most of the other injured individuals jumped from heights due to panic caused by the strong seismic tremor, the minister clarified.

In Rhodes, there are no reports of injuries or material damages.

Seismologists express reassurance

Meanwhile, seismologists are expressing reassurance. The director of the Geodynamic Institute, Vasilis Karastathis, citing the great focal depth, stated on ANT1 television that the seismic tremor felt in Rhodes is not particularly concerning because “although we had a strong tremor, it had significant depth.” He said it was an intermediate-depth earthquake similar to those that occurred in recent days in northern Crete and Kasos.

“These earthquakes, apart from the concern they cause to the public, do not often cause damage or harm,” he stated, noting that such earthquakes are usually not followed by aftershocks.

In the same tone, Professor of Geology and President of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (OASP), Mr. Efthymios Lekkas, speaking to ERTNews about the strong 5.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred at dawn in the sea area between Rhodes and Turkey, also expressed reassurance.

“This is an earthquake whose main characteristic is its depth. It had a depth of 60 kilometers, which allows us to say that although it was felt over a wide area of the Dodecanese and Turkey, it will not have significant surface impacts, there will be no tsunami, and above all, there will not be a rich aftershock sequence,” Mr. Lekkas emphasized.

At the same time, he stressed that it is most likely the main quake due to its depth. “It is a seismic event that was very intense for the residents of Rhodes and the surrounding areas, but beyond that, we won’t have anything particularly notable.”

Source: Protothema
--Agencies