ZANTE, Oct 26 — A strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Greece this morning, and was felt in the tourist hotspot island of Zante, monitoring agencies said.

It struck off the southern part of the island, also known as Zakynthos, in the Ionian Sea at 1.50am, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Local media reported damage caused by landslides and electricity outages.

USGS said the quake, which struck at a depth of 16.6km, was preceded by a shake of 5.0 and followed by a series of smaller aftershocks.

It said there was a low likelihood of casualties.

The Athens earthquake observatory said the tremor was felt strongly in Zante, a popular holiday destination with its own international airport.

Greece lies on major fault lines and is regularly hit by earthquakes, but they rarely cause casualties. — AFP