Night of agony for residents in Psachna after 4.9 Richter – Damage to 10 houses, three uninhabitable

The residents of Psachni Evia are worried by the strong earthquake of 4.9 Richter which occurred at 14:24 which shook Evia and was felt in Attica. Many are expected to spend the night outside their homes and in safe places as the fault has puzzled scientists since it is still not certain if it is the main earthquake.

The earthquake caused damage to shops as windows were broken, while 10 houses were damaged. In particular, cracks appeared in seven houses and three were characterized as uninhabitable, one of which is preserved.

“Cracks appeared in about 10 houses, three of them are uninhabitable, seven have cracks mainly in the masonry” pointed out the mayor of Dirfyon-Messapion, Giorgos Psathas.

Seismologists are troubled

According to seismologists, this is a well-known fault that was activated in 2003 and is not related to the one that caused the 4.9 Richter earthquake on November 29 in South Evia and specifically in Nea Styra. At the same time, seismologists warn that this particular fault can produce a larger earthquake of the order of 6 Richter

“These faults can easily produce magnitude 6 earthquakes. But let me remind you that there have been microsequences in the area for a long time, without the genesis of any particular strong earthquake. It lasted almost a year when the sequence of Psachna had taken place” said Professor of Seismology of AUTH, Costas Papazachos speaking on SKAI 100.3 radio.

Speaking to SKAI, Professor Gerasimos Papadopoulos spoke about a new focus but not unknown to seismologists as it had caused an earthquake in the past.

“The earthquake was strongly felt in Evia and Attica. The epicenter is located 9 km east of Psachna Evia. It is an outbreak that is not related to the one that was activated in the area of ​​southern Evia last month in Nea Styra,” said the professor.

“The size is important in a new focus and close to a large urban center like Chalkida” said the professor.

The authorities are on high alert

Immediately after the strong earthquake, the Permanent Special Scientific Committee for Seismic Risk Assessment and Seismic Risk Reduction of the OASP was convened, in order to examine all the issues related to the strong earthquake.

According to the Commission’s findings, and as announced by Civil Protection, the evolution of the seismic sequence is continuously monitored by the National Networks of Seismographs and Accelerographs. From the analysis of the data so far, the phenomenon is ongoing and all the Civil Protection, Fire Brigade and EMAK forces remain on heightened alert.

“We cannot predict what will happen in terms of activity in the area. But we see that the activity is significantly reduced. The committee’s latest assessment will take place tomorrow at noon,” pointed out Professor Efthymios Lekkas.

“More attention must be paid, because the area is adjacent to urban centers,” stressed the Senior Director of the Geodynamic Institute, Vassilis Karastathis.

A meeting was also held in Psachna by representatives of the Region and the local government of Evia, representatives of the police, the fire brigade and the general secretariat of civil protection, as well as the President of the OSCE, Professor Efthymis Lekkas.

As noted during the meeting by all the agencies “they will maintain increased readiness” and following orders given by the Headquarters of the Fire Brigade all the forces of the fire brigade will continue patrols in the wider area of ​​Central Evia, where so far no serious problems have been identified.

So far, the collapse of a store window and cracks in old buildings have been identified.

Engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure are also expected in the area tomorrow to check more generally old buildings that may have suffered some damage, while the engineers of the self-government agencies will check public buildings and schools.

As noted during the meeting “citizens should take the necessary measures”while a special plan is also underway regarding the preparation for the next few days, as it was noted during the meeting, “the specific area is known for its seismicity”.

Modestly optimistic, he declares Deputy Governor of Evia, Mr. Giorgos Kelaiditis who together with the Mayors, representatives of the Fire Department and the Police participated in the meeting organized in Psachna.

As stated by Mr. Kelaiditis, speaking to the Athens Agency after the end of the meeting, “we were also informed about the seismicity of the area, which has the potential to produce larger earthquakes. But the seismic sequence so far is as expected. It is natural that the whole mechanism has been put in place. This means that we are not complacent but remain vigilant and the entire civil protection mechanism is being developed as planned.”

Dozens of aftershocks

After 4.9 Richter, the aftershocks are continuous. So far 39 aftershocks have been recorded with the largest at 3.5 on the Richter scale. Scientists are monitoring the phenomenon

The committee recommends to citizens:

– avoid entering and staying in buildings that may have suffered damage or are highly vulnerable structures and

– choose safe routes when moving through the urban fabric, to protect them from falling objects or other structural elements.

For more information and instructions on self-protection against earthquakes, citizens can visit the website of the Ministry of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection at www.civilprotection.gr and of the Organization for Earthquake Planning and Protection at www.oasp.gr

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