Magnitude 5.1 quake hits Greek island of Rhodes, no injuries

ATHENS, Greece – A moderately strong earthquake with preliminary magnitude 5.1 has struck off the eastern Aegean Sea resort island of Rhodes but no injuries or damage have been reported.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the undersea quake occurred at 14:30 local time (1130GMT) Wednesday off the island’s southwestern tip. The epicenter was about 400 kilometres (250 miles) southeast of Athens.

Greece is one of the most earthquake-prone parts of the world — about a dozen more quakes with magnitude above 2 were recorded in the country Wednesday — but major damage and fatalities are rare.

In 1999, a magnitude 5.9 quake near Athens killed 143 people and damaged hundreds of buildings.