October 29, 1966 Earthquake: Central, Greece

October 29. 1966, 02:39:29.4 UTC, central Greece, 39.2 N, 21.2 E, depth 20 km, magnitude 5.7. This area was ravaged by a damaging earthquake for the second time this year, but as in the first shock in February, the casualty figure was low in comparison to the extensive damage incurred. Although 80% of the one-story dwellings in the villages of Fities, Katuna, and Xiromeri were destroyed leaving 10,000 homeless inhabitants, only one fatlaity and 23 injuries were reported. A 300-yard-long bridge spanning two lakes north of Agrinion was toppled. Several villages were cut off from the outside world after landslides severed communications and closed highways. (reference #45)

A further violent tremor occurred on 29 October [see Feb 5, 1966 event for more information], to the west of the site of the previous disaster. Most of the houses in Katouna, Fities and Ximoreri (Akarnania) were destroyed. There was 1 death, 23 were injured and several thousands rendered homeless. The damage was particularly heavy in buildings which had been repaired after the earthquake of 5 February. The focus of the earthquake of 29 October was on the fault running along the southern coast ofthe Amvrakikos Gulf. The tremor was recorded on Wilmot seismoscopes at Mesolongion (30 mm), at Agrinion (6 mm) and at Levkas (9 mm). The macroseismic area attained 70,000 km2. (reference #1039)