Powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattles Greek island of Crete damaging buildings and sending crowds into the streets The 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the island at 9:17 am local time At least two people are thought to be trapped in collapsed buildings The quake sent people rushing into the streets and triggered school evacuations Several aftershocks were also registered, some as strong as magnitude 4.8 More to follow By David Averre For Mailonline Published: 08:50 BST, 27 September 2021 | Updated: 08:50 BST, 27 September 2021 Viewcomments A 6.5 magnitude earthquake shook the island of Crete in southern Greece on Monday morning, damaging several buildings and trapping citizens in collapsed structures. The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 9:17am local time (6:17am GMT), was 14 miles northwest of Arvi - roughly 153 miles southeast of Athens - and six miles deep, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute. The quake sent citizens rushing out into the streets and triggered the evacuation of schools with two people reported trapped in collapsed buildings, but no reports of injuries have yet been made. Earlier the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said the earthquake reached a magnitude of 6.5, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.0. Several aftershocks also struck the area, with the EMSC giving a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 for the strongest one. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake shook the island of Crete in southern Greece on Monday morning, damaging several buildings and trapping citizens in collapsed structures. Several aftershocks also struck the area, with the EMSC giving a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 for the strongest one. Local media in Crete reported some damage, mainly with collapsing walls of old stone buildings in villages near the epicentre of the temblor on the eastern part of the island. The mayor of Arkalohori village at the centre of the island told Skai TV two churches and other buildings at the village had been damaged and two people were trapped, one in a church when the dome collapsed during maintenance work, and another in a home. Meanwhile, the mayor of Crete's largest coastal city Heraklion, Vassilis Lambrinos, told Skai TV that there were no immediate reports from emergency services of any injuries or severe damage in his city, but confirmed all schools have been evacuated as authorities check buildings for structural damage. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility