Earthquake expert on Zakynthos tremors: aftershocks can last 1-2 months

An earthquake expert says Sunday’s strong aftershocks near the island of Zakynthos are nothing to worry about.

“Me and my colleagues have said the aftershocks will continue and that magnitudes can be considerable, like in early Sunday,” Gerassimos Papadopoulos, head of the Institute of Geodynamics Research Center at the Athens Observatory told state TV ERT. “There is no reason for the people to worry.”

The two pre-dawn aftershocks, a a 4.4 magnitude followed seven minutes later by a magnitude 5.0, were the 21st and 22nd, respectively, to exceed magnitude 4.0 since a 6.4-strong earthquake shook Zakynthos early on Friday Oct. 26, causing some damage but no casualties.

“The aftershock sequence after a very strong earthquake can last one month, even two,” Papadopoulos said.