ATHENS: A strong earthquake has hit near the Greek capital of Athens, causing residents to run into the streets in fear.
The Athens Institute of Geodynamics gave the earthquake a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 but the U.S. Geological Survey gave it a preliminary magnitude of 5.3. The Athens Institute says the quake struck at 2:13 p.m. local time (1113 GMT) about 26 kilometers (13.7 miles) north of Athens.
The shock was caught live in the studios of state broadcaster ERT.
Authorities say there was no immediate word on injuries or damages.
The quake sparked limited power cuts around Athens and the fire brigade reported receiving calls about people being trapped in building elevators.
