A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck yesterday morning off the west coast off Greece, close to the holiday islands of Lefkada and Paxos.
One woman is reported to have been killed when her house collapsed in the seaside resort of Ponti on Lefkada and a second woman is believed to have been crushed to death in a stable in one of the island’s mountain villages, Athani.
The earthquake occurred 10 kilometres below the Earth’s surface, 289 kms west of Athens in the Ionian sea.
It was 14kms from Nidri, the busiest tourist resort on the island of Lefkada, and 27 kms from Preveza, the island’s airport. Reports suggest part of the harbour at Vassiliki in the worst hit southwest of theisland was submerged in the sea.
Neilson is one of the main UK holiday companies with accommodation on Lefkada, whichis popular with sailors, windsurfers and mountain bike enthusiasts. The company operates the Comos BeachClub at Ponti Beach and the Retreat beachclub at Sivota. Thomson also has accommodation in Nidri and Olympic Holidays has properties in Vassiliki and Sivota.
Neilson said that as the holiday season has ended in Lefkada it does not have any clients on the island and it does not have any reports so far of any damage.
Olympic Holidays, which also has accomodation in Lefkada, said it didn’t have reports of any damage.
