Athens - One person was killed after a strong earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale rattled the eastern Greek Dodecanese islands on Tuesday. The underwater quake struck 70 kilometres off the island of Rhodes in south-east Greece at 6:26 am (0426 GMT) at a depth of 13 kilometers in the Aegean Sea, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said.
One woman, aged 56, died from her injuries after she struck her head while trying to escape her village home on the island. No one else was reported dead or injured.
The earthquake was especially strong on the islands of Crete, Samos and Santorini and felt as far away as Cyprus, where residents and tourists rushed out of their homes and hotels in a panic.
Police said there were no reported damage to buildings, but that emergency services were on alert.
Officials urged the public not to panic following the quake.
"This was probably the major earthqquake and that there will be smaller aftershocks which will follow," said Geodynamic Institute Chief Giorgos Stavrakakis.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck south of the western port city of Patras last month, killing two people and causing injuries to dozens more.
