Powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake rocks Crete, shaking felt across the eastern Med

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck near the Greek island of Crete early Thursday morning, sending tremors across a vast swathe of the eastern Mediterranean.

Seismologists from the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake hit at 6:19am local time. Its epicentre was located north of Crete, at a depth of 69km (43 miles), and around 59km (37 miles) from the coastal town of Ágios Nikólaos and approximately 74km (46 miles) from the island's capital, Irákleion.

Shaking was widely felt across Crete and the Aegean Islands, with reports also coming in from Athens on the Greek mainland. Beyond Greece, tremors were registered in parts of Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus said

"Short, but a heavy one. A big tremble, the whole house was shaking and it woke me up," wrote one resident of Ágios Nikólaos in a submission to the EMSC website.

The region lies along the Hellenic Arc - one of Europe's most seismically active zones - where the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. Earthquakes are frequent in this area and have historically caused significant damage.

This latest quake comes just days after a similar magnitude 6.0 tremor struck in the Mediterranean Sea, which also rocked Crete and the Aegean Islands, with distant shaking reported in Israel and Egypt.

There have been no immediate reports of injuries or major damage, but officials are continuing to assess the situation.