5.1 magnitude earthquake felt in Athens

The European Earthquake Monitoring Centre recorded the quake's epicentre at 22 km northwest of the Greek capital city.

Reuters reported that people were running from buildings in panic while high rise towers had been evacuated.

This is believed to be the first earthquake to hit Athens since the deadly one in 1999 - which left 143 people dead, 700 injured and 70,000 buildings damaged.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage and reports say the tremors did not last long.