Woman killed in Lekfada quake by falling rock

A 60-year-old woman died during a strong earthquake that struck off the Greek island of Lefkada on Tuesday morning, AMNA news agency reported.

The woman was inside her home in the village of Ponti Vassilikis when the tremor dislodged a large boulder from a hill nearby, which struck one of the home’s outer walls and crushed her.

There were also reports of widespread damage to the road network on the southwest of the island.

According to the Athens-based Geodynamic Institute, the tremor measured 6.1-6.3 on the Richter scale and took place at 9.10 a.m. Some reports suggested it measured as much as 6.7 Richter.

Seismology professor Costas Papazachos said this was a typical earthquake for the Lefkada fault, adding that aftershocks should be expected.

“The residents of Lefkada and the Ionian islands know how to protect themselves from earthquakes,” he said.

Tremors are frequent off Greece’s western coast and have been extremely powerful at times, causing loss of life and damage.