6.1 magnitude earthquake hits Greece

KOMOTINI, Greece

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Peloponnese Peninsula in southern Greece on Wednesday at 09.23 a.m. local time (0723GMT).

The Athens Institute of Geodynamics said the earthquake took place at a depth of 20 kilometers (around 12.4 miles) at sea between the Kythira and Crete islands in the south of the Peloponnese Peninsula.

The earthquake was fiercely felt in a wide area, 258 km (160 miles) off its epicentre, from the capital Athens to the Crete Island, announced local media.

The earthquake had no ties with the one that occurred in Albania on Tuesday, said Greek experts.

No statements have been made yet on the loss of life or property in the country.

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Albania's coastal city of Durres on Tuesday, leaving at least 20 people dead, according to authorities. Hours later, a 5.4 earthquake hit Nevesinje in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 77 km (48 miles) south of the capital Sarajevo.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev