Athens earthquake anniversary: 1999 Parnitha tremor

On September 7, 1999, a powerful 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Athens, Greece, with its epicenter located in the Parnitha region. The seismic event, occurring at a shallow depth of less than 10 km, caused widespread destruction, affecting approximately 70,000 buildings and resulting in an estimated 3 billion euro in damages.

The earthquake caused 143 deaths and injured over 700 people. Significant casualties occurred at specific locations, including the Ricomex building in Menidi, which accounted for 39 fatalities, as well as various offices and factories in areas such as Metamorfosi and Nea Filadelfia. The event was particularly shocking to the population as the Parnitha area had previously been considered seismically inactive.