Prokopi, Greece. A series of strong earthquakes struck Evia on Sunday afternoon, causing structural damage, localized landslides and widespread concern among residents. The tremors were strongly felt across several regions, including Attica.
Sequence of earthquakes
The seismic activity began at 12:58 p.m. with an initial 4.8-magnitude earthquake centered 6 kilometers south of Prokopi, Evia. Two more strong earthquakes followed in the same area shortly after, with the strongest measuring 5.2.
The major tremors were followed by at least three smaller aftershocks of around magnitude 3 in the broader area.
Expert assessments
Kostas Papazachos, professor of seismology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, described the events as consecutive earthquakes. He said northern Evia contains numerous active faults but added that the tremors should not cause undue alarm.
Seismologist Athanasios Ganas said the 4.8-magnitude tremor was followed four minutes later by the 5.2 event, which he described as being at the boundary of a strong earthquake. He said the fault line lies behind Mount Kondyli, is well mapped and has low seismic potential, historically producing earthquakes between magnitude 5 and 5.5 without exceeding magnitude 6.
Ganas said there had been no foreshock sequence to provide warning and called for immediate structural checks on older homes in the Prokopi area.
Efthymios Lekkas, president of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (OASP), said the Prokopi region has historically shown high seismicity, often marked by clusters of tremors over a few hours or days that remain within this magnitude range. He said that while minor damage and falling objects had been reported in Evia, there was no cause for broader panic.
Lekkas advised residents to avoid areas with unusual terrain features and to stay away from old or damaged houses.
Damage and local response
The earthquakes caused visible structural and infrastructure problems in the region. Local authorities recorded damage to homes, commercial shops and public infrastructure, along with several landslides on the road network.
Yiannis Tsapourniotis, mayor of Mantoudi-Limni-Agia Anna, reported extensive landslides affecting roads mainly in the Plakia and Dafnousa areas. He said no injuries had been reported.
Argyris Liaskos, deputy mayor of Mantoudi, said several homes in Dafnousa sustained deep cracks, though residents evacuated safely.
Evia Deputy Regional Governor Giorgos Kelaiditis said anxiety was widespread among residents and reported damage to buildings, shops and the Church of Agios Georgios outside Prokopi, where a baptism was interrupted as attendees evacuated.
Government monitoring
Government sources said field teams had so far mainly identified minor cracks in homes and limited landslides along roadsides. They said communication remained ongoing between local mayors, emergency teams and the General Secretariat for Natural Disaster Rehabilitation under the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection to assess and manage the aftermath.
