ATHENS – A light earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale was recorded on Thursday at 15.33 in the area of Atalanti and was felt in several areas of Attica.

The 4.8 Richter scale earthquake that was felt across Athens on Thursday afternoon originated from the Lokrida fault, professor and president of Greece’s Earthquake Planning & Protection Organisation (OASP), Efthymios Lekkas, told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).

Lekkas clarified Thursday’s temblor is not related to the Atalanti fault that generated a 6.7R earthquake in 1894, killing 225 people.

There is presently no cause for further concern, “but we are, nonetheless, monitoring this latest phenomenon very closely,” Lekkas noted.

The quake was registered at 15:33, and its epicentre was located 13 km southwest of the town of Atalanti, which lies between Lamia and Thebes in central Greece, with a focal depth of 6 km.

However, people in Atalanti took to the streets right after the jolt, Vice-Governor Ilias Sanidas told ANA-MPA. Local police, he added, is checking homes in Atalanti town as well as in nearby villages like Kalapodi and Exarchos to assess potential damages, but none has so far been reported. Another team from OASP will evaluate the situation in surrounding areas this afternoon.

Eight aftershocks have so far registered after the main quake, ranging from 2.0 to 2.9 on the Richter scale, while people in the area are still choosing to stay away from their homes, it was added.