Quake shakes southern Greek island

Seismologists say an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 has struck the southern Greek island of Crete.

Seismologists say an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 has struck the southern Greek island of Crete.

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There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 2.17 pm (1747 IST) on Wednesday, 111 kilometres south of the island's city of Iraklion and 423 kilometres southeast of the Greek capital, Athens.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center gave the preliminary magnitude as 5.5 Magnitudes given by different seismological centers often vary.

Greece is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, but most quakes are of small magnitude and rarely cause severe damage or injuries.