4.9-Magnitude Aftershock Hits Greece

A 4.9-magnitude aftershock on Friday hit an area of central Greece where a quake damaged scores of homes two days earlier, the Athens Observatory said.

The observatory said the quake struck at 2:49 pm (1149 GMT) near the town of Amfiklia, 123 kilometers (76 miles) northwest of Athens, and was felt in the capital.

A 5.1-magnitude quake on Wednesday damaged scores of homes in the area around Amfiklia, but no casualties were reported.

"This is an aftershock from Wednesday's earthquake," observatory research director Thanassis Ganas told To Vima radio.

"People living in old homes in the area need to be very careful as this could last at least two more weeks, with aftershocks of up to 5.0 in magnitude."

Greece is the European country that is most prone to earthquakes.

In September 1999 a 5.9-magnitude quake killed 143 people in Athens and the region northwest of the capital.