Aftershocks rock Greek island, leaving residents, tourists jittery
KOS, Greece — Crews of experts began examining the damage to cultural monuments and infrastructure on the eastern Greek island of Kos on Saturday, a day after a powerful earthquake killed two tourists and injured nearly 500 others in the Aegean Sea region that stretches to Turkey’s sprawling coast.
Residents and tourists were still jittery as a series of aftershocks Saturday night continued to rock the island. A tremor measuring a preliminary 4.4 magnitude struck at 8:09 p.m. Saturday, sending residents and restaurant customers scurrying toward the middle of the town’s main square, as far away as possible from buildings.
Sixteen minutes later, a second 4.6-magnitude tremor struck, the Athens Geodynamics Institute reported. The first tremor had its epicenter only 12.5 miles northeast of Kos at a depth of 6.2 miles.
Hundreds of residents and tourists spent Friday night sleeping outdoors on the island, too afraid to return to their homes or hotels after the quake that struck early Friday.
Many camped out in parks and olive groves, or slept in their cars or on beach and swimming pool lounge chairs.
The aftershocks Saturday night meant that many would spend a second night outdoors.
During the day in Kos, churches, an old mosque, the port’s 14th-century castle and other old buildings that suffered in the quake were being checked by archaeologists and experts from Greece’s Culture Ministry.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake Friday at magnitude 6.7, with Greek and Turkish estimates a fraction lower. Two men, a Turk and a Swede, were killed when a wall collapsed into a popular bar in the Old Town of Kos.
Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis said island’s biggest infrastructure problem was the damage to the main port. Coast guard divers were on the scene inspecting the jetty.
“Life on the island is returning to normal,” Kyritsis said. “The infrastructure problems are being repaired.”