A strong earthquake shook Crete at 9.17am Monday, crushing a man at the small agricultural town of Arkalochori, where – apart from the man’s death – there were nearly a dozen people injured.

The greatest damage was noted in the small village, 30km southeast of Heraklion, the island’s capital.

The earthquake, which measured magnitude 5.8 according to the Geodynamics Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, and had an epicentre 246 km south southeast of Athens, the Greek capital.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre and the US Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 with an epicentre seven kilometres north of the village of Thrapsano, and various reports put the quake at 6.5 Richter. It is not uncommon for different seismological institutes to give varying magnitudes in the initial hours after the event.

READ MORE: Magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocks Crete

People on Crete were rattled by the quake which was also felt on the island of Santorini, and there were at least ten aftershocks of more than a magnitude of 3.5 and up to 5.5 which were described by eye-witnesses as “feeling like small explosions”.

“The earthquake was strong and was long in duration,” Heraklion mayor Vassilis Lambrinos told private Antenna television.

Damage has been surveyed and the local fire brigade has noted damage to infrastructure as well as structural damage to more than 1,000 buildings across the area, specifically at Roussohoria, Arhondiko, Patsideros and Melesson at the Town of Archanon Asterousion. Residents of the region have been told to not enter their houses due to danger as aftershocks continue.

The military was called in to set up tents for 2,500 people left without homes, whereas the Red Cross is expected to create more makeshift accomodations and hotels in Kastelli and Heraklion are opening up to families with small children.

Μέχρι και αυτή την ώρα συνεχίζουν οι εθελοντές μας να στήνουν σκηνές για τους σεισμοπαθείς συμπολίτες μας που το έχουν πραγματικά ανάγκη.
Ευχαριστούμε #Εθελοντές!!!👏👏👏#earthquake #σεισμος #Κρήτη #Ηράκλειο pic.twitter.com/fV7nzuJGmf

— Ελληνικός Ερυθρός Σταυρός – Hellenic Red Cross (@greekredcross) September 27, 2021