2018 Ionian Sea earthquake

The epicenter was located about 133 km from Patras. The earthquake occurred 14 km below the surface.^[5] The event was felt in eight countries, including in the Balkans, Italy, Malta as well as coasts of Africa and Turkey.^[7][8]

The focal mechanisms published by various groups for this earthquake are a mixture of thrust sense, strike-slip sense or a combination of the two. They also mostly show a large non double-couple component, which could be explained by slip on multiple fault segments, as most tectonic earthquakes have a low non double-couple component. The larger aftershocks show thrust sense movement, while there are several SSW–NNE trending "streaks" of aftershocks that are strike-slip in type. Definition of the rupture geometry using linear slip inversion is consistent with a smaller low-angle thrust fault sub-event, probably along the plate interface, followed by a larger steeper strike-slip sub-event within the upper plate.^[6]

The main shock was followed by multiple aftershocks in the following days, including undersea aftershocks of magnitude 4.4 and 5 over a week after the initial earthquake.^[9] The largest reported aftershock was of magnitude 5.6 the day of the initial earthquake.^[10]

Other structures were damaged, but despite the magnitude of the event, there were no reported serious injuries or casualties.^[11] About 120 homes were left uninhabitable, and the town laterally shifted 5 centimeters as a result of the earthquake.^[12] A strict building code was cited as a possible reason for the limited amount of damage, as Zakynthos suffered major damage from the 1953 earthquake.^[13][5]

Power outages were reported on the island of Zakynthos, and a 15th-century monastery was also damaged on the islands of Strofades.^[14][5] The port of Zakynthos also sustained major damage, and a state of emergency was declared in the municipality.^[15] Services around Zakynthos were affected, and schools were closed on October 26.^[13] Tax relief was also extended into January in order to support the local tourism industry.^[16]