Earthquake in Thesprotia Damages Homes and Schools

The news in Greek

1. σεισμός  (m.)
   δυνατός κλονισμός της γης που συμβαίνει ξαφνικά και προκαλείται από κινήσεις στο εσωτερικό της γης ↩︎
2. Ρίχτερ  (n.)
   κλίμακα μέτρησης της έντασης των σεισμών ↩︎
3. τραυματίας  (m.)
   άτομο που έχει πληγωθεί στο σώμα του ↩︎
4. αρχή  (f.)
   οι δημόσιες υπηρεσίες και υπεύθυνοι που διοικούν και ελέγχουν μια περιοχή ή χώρα ↩︎
5. κτίριο  (n.)
   μεγάλη κατασκευή με τοίχους και στέγη όπου ζουν ή εργάζονται άνθρωποι ↩︎
6. οδηγία  (f.)
   λόγια ή κείμενο που εξηγούν τι πρέπει να κάνει κάποιος βήμα προς βήμα ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: When did the earthquake happen?

Question 2: What are the authorities doing after the earthquake?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
σεισμός  (m.)	earthquake
Ρίχτερ  (n.)	Richter scale
τραυματίας  (m.)	injured person
αρχή  (f.)	authorities
κτίριο  (n.)	building
οδηγία  (f.)	instruction

Read the full story

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 on the Richter scale shook north‑western Greece early on Sunday morning, affecting mainly the regional units of Thesprotia and Ioannina in the region of Epirus. The tremor was felt across a wide area, including parts of Thessaly and the Ionian Islands, but there were no reports of injuries.

According to the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, the main quake struck at 05:32 local time. Its epicentre was located about 12 kilometres east of the village of Leptokarya in Thesprotia, at a shallow focal depth of around 13 kilometres. Seismologists explain that this relatively small depth helped make the quake strongly felt even at some distance.

The shock woke residents and sent many into the streets in Ioannina city and towns in Thesprotia. Local officials reported brief power cuts in several areas, which were either precautionary shut‑offs or the result of minor damage to the network. Electricity supply is being gradually restored.

Teams from local authorities quickly began inspecting affected areas. In the village of Poly­droso in the Municipality of Souli, which lies close to the epicentre, damage was recorded in several homes. Initial checks on ten houses found visible cracks in seven buildings, and early assessments suggest three may be declared uninhabitable. Municipal crews and the mayor visited the village to document damage and organise support.

Damage was also reported in parts of the Ioannina regional unit. In the village of Psina in the Municipality of Dodoni, churches, public buildings and private homes suffered significant structural problems. One church, dedicated to Agia Marina, partly collapsed, while the main village church of Panagia developed large cracks that appear to have split the building. In the village of Chinka in the Municipality of Zitsa, inspections found serious damage to houses and a local church, including fallen walls.

Local officials emphasise that, despite the damage, no injuries have been reported. In communities where homes have been badly affected, municipalities are arranging temporary accommodation, including the use of guesthouses and hotels for residents whose properties may be unsafe.

The earthquake also triggered landslides and rockfalls in the region’s mountainous road network. Authorities reported the fall of small rocks on the Egnatia Odos motorway towards Igoumenitsa, as well as landslides on the old national road between Igoumenitsa and Ioannina. Municipal and regional crews used heavy machinery to clear debris and ensure road safety.

Since the main shock, the area has experienced a rich aftershock sequence. The strongest aftershock so far measured about 4.7 on the Richter scale, shortly after the main quake. Numerous smaller tremors, many around 3.0–3.7, have followed, mainly near Leptokarya and the wider Kourenta–Leptokarya zone. Over thirty aftershocks have been recorded, and seismologists are monitoring the pattern in the coming days.

Greek experts have offered slightly different emphases but generally similar assessments. Efthymios Lekkas, president of the Organisation for Anti‑Seismic Planning and Protection (OASP), described the small focal depth and the strong sequence of aftershocks as expected features for such an event, noting that the presence of aftershocks can be a normal sign of the fault releasing energy. At the same time, he underlined that even houses with minor damage should not be used until inspected by engineers and reminded the public to follow official civil protection guidelines.

Vasilis Karastathis, director of the Geodynamic Institute, characterised the aftershock activity as “quite rich” and explained that a clearer scientific view requires one to two days of data collection for statistical analysis. He pointed out that, while the area is not considered among the most active in Greece, it has experienced notable earthquakes in the past, including strong events in the nineteenth century and quakes of similar magnitude in 1969 and 2016. He was cautious about directly linking historical events to the current sequence because older earthquakes are not always precisely located.

Giorgos Kavyris, professor of seismology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, expressed a more clearly reassuring view, stating that current data suggest the 5.3‑magnitude tremor is likely the main shock. He noted that from late February numerous very small tremors had already been recorded in the same area, which now appear to have been foreshocks. In his analysis, the ongoing pattern corresponds to the “classic” sequence of foreshocks, main shock and aftershocks, and the development so far looks normal for such an event.

Despite their slightly different levels of caution, experts agree on one key point: it is too early to make absolutely firm predictions about the final evolution of the seismic activity. Civil protection officials in Epirus remain on full alert, operating from regional coordination centres, and they continue to supervise inspections of buildings and infrastructure.

As a precaution, several municipalities decided to close schools and kindergartens on Monday. All educational institutions in the Municipality of Ioannina are closed to allow engineers from the municipality and the Technical Chamber of Greece (Epirus branch) to carry out structural checks. The Municipality of Igoumenitsa also suspended classes, stating that the measure aims to facilitate inspections and pass the most active phase of the aftershock sequence, not because of confirmed serious damage to school buildings.

Elsewhere, the Municipality of Filiates kept the Leptokarya primary school closed, while other schools opened after the first lesson hour to give inspection teams time to work. In the Municipality of Souli, most schools are operating normally, but the Gymnasium and Lyceum of Paramythia remain shut until full checks are completed, due to the size and complexity of their facilities. The Municipality of Dodoni has also temporarily suspended school operations. In several areas, authorities have arranged online teaching so that pupils do not lose lessons during the brief closure.

For residents and visitors, authorities repeat standard earthquake safety advice: avoid staying near old or visibly damaged buildings, watch out for possible rockfalls or landslides in mountainous areas, and wait for official technical inspections before re‑entering buildings that show cracks or other signs of damage. Seismologists note that, although a 5.3‑magnitude earthquake is significant and can damage vulnerable structures, far stronger quakes—typically above magnitude 6—are usually required to cause widespread destruction.

Monitoring of the Thesprotia–Ioannina seismic sequence continues, with scientists collecting data and civil protection services coordinating local responses. For now, the situation is described as serious but under control, with the main focus on protecting residents, checking buildings and restoring normal daily life in the affected communities.

Info: Greek Learner News is a service from Let’s Learn Greek, a language school dedicated to teaching Greek, where we provide a range of Greek lessons online for different levels and learning needs.