Strong earthquake rocks southern Greece, but no reports of damage

A strong earthquake rattled southern Greece early Sunday and was felt in the capital, Athens. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, police said.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the 6.5 magnitude quake occurred at 7:14 a.m. (0514 GMT) and was centered 124 kilometers (77 miles) southwest of Athens - in the southern Peloponnese region, near the city of Sparta.

“This earthquake occurred deep under land ... and these types of earthquakes have certain characteristics. So it appears the danger from this event is over,” Gerasimos Papadopoulos, the institute’s director of research said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.1.

Athens, Sunday, AP