Two dead, 37 hurt in earthquake
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 struck southwestern Greece, killing at least two people and injuring 37 others, authorities said.
The quake struck near the port city of Patras, about 120 miles west of Athens in the northwestern Peloponnese, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said.
Local authorities said there were widespread reports of collapsed and severely damaged homes from the quake felt as far away as southern Italy.
One man was killed by a falling roof in the Kato Ahaia area and fire crews were trying to free a young boy and an elderly man trapped beneath rubble in region, police said.
Two families - seven people in total - who had been trapped in collapsed houses were rescued in the village of Fostaina, about 20 miles south of Patras, and in the village of Vartholomio, authorities said.
At least seven people were injured: six in the province of Ahaia and one hurt on the island of Lefkada by falling rocks at a beach, emergency officials said.
The fire service said a landslide cut off part of the Corinth to Patras highway. The power was out in parts of Patras, reports said.
Seismologists warned residents to expect aftershocks.
"There have been aftershocks and more will follow because the epicentre was close to the surface," said Gerasimos Papadopoulos, head of the Athens Geodynamic Institute's research centre.
Greece is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. In 1999, a 5.9-magnitude quake near Athens killed 143 people and left thousands homeless.
A map showing the location of the Earthquake 
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 has struck Greece. The epicenter was recorded 20 miles away from the city of Patras, and 125 miles away from Athens, the Greek capital. The earthquake occurred soon after 12:00 UTC today, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute. The USGS originally reported the quake as a magnitude 6.5.

There have been reports of at least two people killed and 37 injured. There has also been damage to property and mobile phone networks which are being overloaded. There are also reports of families trapped inside the rubble of homes and businesses.

The control tower at Andravida airport is reported to have sustained serious damage and has been abandoned. Many buildings and homes are said to be severely damaged or collapsed.

The tremors from the earthquake were noticeable in large parts of Greece, including Athens, but the shaking could be felt as far away as Italy.

A nationwide mobilisation of civil defence and fire brigade units commenced after the natural disaster.  
 
Finally, schools were also ordered closed on Monday in the affected areas.