BREAKING NEWS: URGENT -- Strong earthquake hits Greek island, damage reported

USPA News - A strong and shallow earthquake struck near a city on an island in western Greece on late Sunday afternoon, causing damage and possible injuries, seismologists and local officials said. Few details were immediately available.

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake at 3:55 p.m. local time (0155 GMT) was centered just outside the city of Lixouri, the main town on the peninsula of Paliki on the island of Kefalonia, part of the Ionian Islands in western Greece. It struck about 18.8 kilometers (11.7 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The country`s Patras Seismological Laboratory put the magnitude of the earthquake at a stronger 6.3, saying the epicenter was east of Argostolion. Sunday`s earthquake was followed by a small earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 about 13 minutes later, the laboratory reported. There were initial reports of damage and possible injuries in towns near Lixouri, but details were not immediately available.