国际英语新闻:One killed, 11 others injured as strong earthquake hits eastern Greece

ATHENS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- At least one people was killed and another 11 were injured when an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Greece's Eastern Aegean Sea on Monday, said the Greek authorities.

A 45-year-old woman was found dead by firefighters in the ruins in the village of Vrisa on Lesvos Island, said local authorities.

Major damages have been reported in Vrisa in southern Lesvos.

"Half of the village has been greatly damaged and many houses have collapsed," Nikos Karasavvas, the Deputy Mayor of Environment and Emergency of the Municipality of Lesvos was quoted by Greek News Agency AMNA as saying

The earthquake also caused damages to some other houses on Lesvos as well as the nearby Chios Island.

The Athens Institute of Geodynamics said the epicenter of the earthquake was at sea, about 45km south from Lesvos Island.

The strong tremor, which hit in early afternoon, was felt in Athens. There are aftershocks measuring from 4.6 to 3.6 on Richter scale.

Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection Nikos Toskas and General Secretary of civil protection Giannis Kapakis headed to Lesvos with helicopter to coordinate rescue efforts, according to Greece's national news agency AMNA.

Along with them were officers from Greece's Special Disaster Response Unit (EMAK).