A magnitude 6.7 earthquake near Kythira caused widespread shaking across the eastern Mediterranean but resulted in minimal casualties due to its 55 km focal depth.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- 6.7 Mw
- Max Mercalli Intensity
- VII (Very strong)
- Focal Depth
- 55 km km
- Shaking Duration (Athens)
- ~40 seconds
- Buildings Damaged (W. Crete)
- 146
- Injuries
- 3 (1 on Kythira, 2 on Crete)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Seismic activity along fault structures in the eastern Mediterranean region beneath the island of Kythira produced a significant rupture approximately 55 kilometres below the surface, limiting the destructive energy reaching ground level despite the earthquake's considerable magnitude.
On January 8, 2006, at 13:34:53 local time, an Mw 6.7 earthquake struck just off Kythira, about 200 km south of Athens. Buildings in Athens swayed for nearly 40 seconds, and the tremor was felt across the eastern Mediterranean, reaching southern Italy, Malta, Cairo, and the Levantine coast.
Damage was concentrated on Kythira, where several older buildings collapsed and a landslide partially destroyed Mitata's central square. In western Crete, 146 buildings were recorded damaged, including historic Venetian structures in Chania. Only three people sustained minor injuries, and no tsunami was generated, limiting the event's human toll.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 0 (earthquake)