HERAKLION, Greece — Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides described conditions in the village of Arkalochori, Crete, which was worst hit by Monday's 5.8 Richter earthquake, as "grim" after the conclusion of on-the-spot inspections.

He said that the citizens have been instructed to go to safe locations, adding that tents will be set up at the Exhibition Centre of Arakalochori that will be able to host up to 2,500 people on Monday night.

The regional governor of Crete Stavros Arnaoutakis said that efforts are underway to contact hotel to house earthquake victims as nobody can estimate exactly how long people will have to stay away from their homes.

The earthquake that hit Arkalochori was with 98.8 percent certainty the main quake because the fault from which it derived can't give a tremor over 6 Richter, stated the head of the Geodynamics Institute of the Athens National Observatory, Professor Akis Tselentis.

He added, however, that "we didn't expect a quake of such magnitude" noting that because it was superficial, only 10 km, there will be a long and active period of aftershocks and quite a lot of damage to old buildings near the epicentre, so local residents should be very cautious.