Earthquakes strike northern Evia, Greece, causing damage to homes

Residents in northern Evia, Greece, are assessing the damage after a series of powerful earthquakes struck the region on Sunday afternoon. The tremors, measuring 4.3, 4.8, and 5.2 on the Richter scale, caused significant material damage, though fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.

In the village of Dafnoussa, internal and external walls of houses collapsed, while other residences sustained cracks. Shopkeepers in Prokopi reported that glasses, plates, and pictures fell to the floor during the strongest quake. The local deputy mayor for Civil Protection, Argyris Liaskos, confirmed damage to homes across various locations, including two uninhabitable houses in Dafnoussa where families are being temporarily housed.

Damage was also reported in other villages, with structural issues affecting churches in Troupi and buildings in Kalyvia and Spathari. Homes in Mantoudi and Prokopi showed cracks. Landslides occurred on roads connecting Limni to Galataki, prompting efforts by regional and municipal machinery to clear the routes. Engineers are scheduled to begin building assessments on Monday, with a process expected to take about a week to classify structures.

While the earthquakes caused considerable alarm and damage, the seismic sequence thankfully resulted only in material losses. In some instances, residents narrowly escaped harm, such as a man who was inside his house when a wall collapsed but managed to exit just in time. An 88-year-old woman also described waking up to the tremors, managing to free herself from her damaged home despite significant cracks and fallen stones.