[2] It was felt over a wide area from the Khedivate of Egypt[2] to Malta[5] and possibly as far away as Bern and Marseille.

A major NNW-SSE trending thrust fault is mapped off the coast near the location of the 1886 event and displacement on this may have caused the earthquake.

[7] Smoke and flames were reported out to sea about half an hour after the earthquake by Captain Aquilina of the La Valette.

These observations were initially interpreted as a volcanic eruption, but the lack of any known previous activity combined with its location in the Mediterranean Ridge accretionary complex mean that this explanation is considered unlikely.

[1] Severe damage was widespread throughout Messenia, with the towns of Filiatra, Koroni and Ligudista completely destroyed and Gargalianoi, Kyparissia and Messini badly affected.