Greece: Magnitude-4.8 offshore earthquake occurs off the south coast of Crete Aug. 7

A magnitude-4.8 earthquake occurred in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Crete at around 11:23 Aug. 7. The epicenter was about 51 km (32 miles) south-southwest of Heraklion. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 15 km (9 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout much of Crete and other far southern Greek islands. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.