Quake rattles Gulf of Laconia in southern Peloponnese

A quake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale rattled southeastern Peloponnese just before noon on Tuesday morning and was felt some 300 kilometers away in Athens.

The Geodynamic Institute put the epicenter 18 kilometers southeast of the coastal village of Gytheio and 54 kilometers from Sparta, while its depth was at 5 kilometers.

The earthquake was recorded as having taken place at 11.53 a.m.

The head of Greece's Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, Efthymios Lekkas, told Kathimerini that while the area is riddled with fault lines, the one that delivered Tuesday’s quake is not capable of more dramatic activity. He also put the tremor's magnitude at 4.5 Richter.