ATHENS: An undersea 6.1-magnitude earthquake scale struck off the Greek island of Crete early Thursday and was felt across the Aegean Sea, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.

The quake occurred some 55 kilometres north of the island, according to the Geodynamics Institute of Athens at a depth of 37 kilometres beneath the seabed.

Regional government official Giorgos Tsapakos told state-run television that “there are no reports of injuries or any serious damage” following initial assessments of the affected areas.

The shock was felt extensively across islands throughout the Aegean Sea.

Earthquake and Planning Protection Organisation director Efthymios Lekkas noted that deeper earthquakes typically cause less surface damage.

Greece sits on major fault lines and experiences frequent seismic activity.