A moment magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the island of Crete in Greece at a depth of 6 km on 27 September 2021.

[7][8] This region in the Mediterranean is part of the Hellenic arc and is known for its frequent and violent seismic activity and is home to Europe's deadliest earthquakes.

In 1810 and 1856, Crete was struck by large intermediate-depth intraplate earthquakes which were devastating and felt strongly in Africa and the Levant.

The professor added that the earthquake with its magnitude was large enough for the active faults in Crete, and that strong aftershocks are expected.

[14] He stated that some faults on the island have been the subject of geological studies, but they have not shown any signs of past seismic activity.

[17] A maximum ground subsidence of ~22 cm was estimated from the displacement decomposition in the vertical (up-down) direction.

[10] A warning was issued on Facebook to Arkalochori and the surrounding area by a scientist at the Athens Geodynamic Institute after a magnitude 3.7 foreshock occurred the week before.

All the earthquakes of magnitude ≥ 4.0 that occurred in the entire foreshock-main shock-aftershock sequence ruptured within the southern aftershock cluster.

The aftershock sequence is expected to last 20 to 30 days after the mainshock, and residents were urged not to approach any damaged buildings.

[31] Thirty-five individuals were also injured, two with fractured bones and the rest minor abrasions, all treated at nearby medical facilities.

[33] Landslides near Profitis Ilias resulted in the closure of roads leading to the town, and damaging at least one vehicle.

[34] Kato Poulies, located in the Minoa Pediada municipality was nearly destroyed, with only two homes left intact.

In total, 89 schools were affected in municipalities including Minoa Plain, Gortyna, Hersonissos, Phaistos, and Malevizi.

[37] On 30 September, a volunteer cook in Arkalochori suffered a fall when he lost his balance while resting on a windowsill.

[39] The Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection of Greece, Christos Stylianides is to have flown to Crete.

[41] Some 20 engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport were assigned to evaluate and inspect the buildings on the island.

[34] Thirty firefighters from the Hellenic Fire Service were flown into Crete via a C-130 aircraft, along with rescue dogs and equipment.

[43] Authorities in Greece have urged local residents to stay away from damaged buildings due to the risk of collapse.