Earthquakes rattle the island of Lesvos; minor damages

Two earthquakes with magnitude 4.9 and 4.7 on the Richter scale and some 15 aftershocks have been rattling the island of Lesvos since the early morning hours of Saturday, January 7, 2023.

The seismic activity has caused minor damages in at least five house and rocks have fallen on the roads in the West of the island.

Nobody was injured.

The first earthquake hit with 4.9 r at 3:52 a.m. It epicenter was 4 km west-northwest of Mandamados, and had a focal depth of 17.5 km.

Eyewitnesses said that the tremor lasted about 8 seconds and that a loud noise followed.

The second earthquake occurred at 8:35 a,m. with epicenter 7 km west-northwest of Mandamados in northern Lesvos, very close to the epicenter of the first earthquake. Its focal depth was 10 km.

According to a post of West Lesvos mayor, Taxiarchis Verros, minor damages have been reported to three house in Lolyvos and two in Pelopi.

Falling rocks on the provincial road near Argenos have been removed with municipality machinery, the mayor added.

Stressing that all services of the municipality are stand by and authorities are monitoring the phenomena, Verros said that the Seismic Risk Assessment Committee will meet in the next few hours.

Seismologist and research director of the Geodynamic Institute, Gerasimos Houliaras, told state broadcaster ERT that there have been 15 tremors since 1:30 a.m. Saturday with the biggest being the 4.9R.

The biggest aftershock was 3.3 R at 4:01 a.m. with epicenter the sea area between Lesvos and the west coast of Turkey.

Seismologists are closely monitoring the phenomenon, however, they say it is too early to draw conclusions on whether one of the earthquakes was the main one.