5 Dead, Many Hurt or Trapped in Greek Quake

At least five people were killed and many injured today when a strong earthquake brought down a hotel and a block of apartments in the western Greek town of Egion, near the port city of Patras, police said.

They said many people were trapped inside the two wrecked buildings. Fire engines and ambulances rushed to the area, and hospitals in western Greece were put on alert, along with army units.

The Athens Seismological Institute said the 6.1-magnitude quake had its epicenter about 90 miles west of Athens in the sea near Egion.

The quake struck about 3 a.m. local time, when most people were asleep.

Residents in Egion and nearby towns and villages rushed out of their homes in panic.

“We have widespread damage to many buildings,” a police official said. “All our efforts now are to free those trapped in the buildings that collapsed.”