Athens, May 22 (IANS) An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck off the coast of Crete in Greece on Thursday, said the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

The earthquake also prompted the European authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The tremor struck at 6.19 a.m, 58 km north-northeast of Elounda in northeastern Crete, and was 60 km deep, according to initial estimates.

Reports suggest that there have been no injuries or damage, but the tremor was felt across Crete and nearby islands, rattling the locals.

According to reports, several aftershocks followed, and the fire services of Crete have been put on alert.

Speaking to national broadcaster ERT, the president of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation, Efthimios Lekkas, stated that it was likely that the epicenter of the earthquake was located in the sea.

Greece sits on major fault lines and experiences frequent seismic activity, and is one of the most seismically active regions in Europe, situated along a complex fault boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Earlier on Monday, schools in a region of Greece's Evia Island were closed as authorities took precautionary measures after a series of earthquakes shook the area over the weekend.

According to the National Observatory of Athens, at least three tremors -- ranging in magnitude from 4.1 to 4.5 on the Richter scale -- were recorded since Sunday, followed by numerous aftershocks. The epicenter was located in central Evia, near the village of Prokopi.

The strongest quake, a 4.5-magnitude tremor in the early hours of Monday, was felt in the Greek capital, Athens, approximately 80 km to the south, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Giorgos Tsapourniotis, mayor of the Mantoudi-Limni-Agia Anna municipality, the tremors damaged at least 20 houses, shops, and a monastery.

Another earthquake jolted Greece on May 13 with a magnitude of 6.1, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

--IANS

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