Dodecanese Islands, Greece. Photo: Shutterstock A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the Dodecanese Islands in southeastern Greece on Thursday, July 2, according to preliminary seismic data from the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
The earthquake occurred at 11:06:21 UTC (14:06 local time) and was recorded at a shallow depth of 6 kilometers, a depth that can increase the likelihood of shaking being felt near the epicenter.
According to the available seismic information, the epicenter was located at coordinates 35.332 latitude and 27.286 longitude, approximately 21 kilometers south southeast of the Greek island of Karpathos, which has a population of around 2,200 residents.
The tremor also occurred about 195 kilometers east of the city of Heraklion on the island of Crete, home to roughly 137,000 people.
Greece is one of Europe's most seismically active countries due to its location along the boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. Earthquakes of moderate magnitude occur regularly across the Aegean region, particularly around the Dodecanese Islands, Crete and the Hellenic Arc.
As a reminder, at the ned of June, two powerful earthquakes struck the capital, Caracas. The first quake felt had a magnitude of 7.2, while the second had a magnitude of 7.5.