Thousands of people were jolted from their Sunday lunches yesterday as Malta felt the effects of a strong earthquake that rattled Greece.

The epicentre of the 6.9-magnitude quake was located about 40 kilometres beneath the seabed about 125 miles south of Athens. Minor damage was reported in southern Greece, and authorities on the island of Crete said three people were slightly injured.

The earthquake, which lasted for about seven seconds, occurred just after 12.30 p.m. and was clearly recorded at the Wied Dalam station, operated by the university's Physics Department.

The earthquake was felt in Italy and as far away as the Middle East.

Seismologist Pauline Galea told The Times the quake occurred deep undersea and that was what spared the region from disaster. No tsunami warnings were issued.

Dozens of aftershocks hit Greece after the earthquake, though none were felt here.

It is the first strong tremor in Malta since the one that hit in July 2003 when an earthquake measuring nearly four on the Richter scale, with its epicentre 30 kilometres to the north of the island, had sent people scurrying out in the streets in panic.

Dr Galea said it is not the first time that an earthquake in Greece was in Malta; two occurred in 1997 and the most recent in 2002. Greece sits on several of Europe's most active seismic faults.

About 10 small earthquakes take place in the sea around Malta every year, practically none of which are felt here. The chances of Malta ever experiencing a strong earthquake were low because the island is not located on what is known as a plate boundary, an area susceptible to earthquakes.

However, the danger remains. A strong earthquake in Sicily could potentially damage buildings in Malta, Dr Galea said, especially as experts say buildings here have no protection against seismic activity.

Within minutes of yesterday's shock, The Times newsroom was inundated with phone calls from people from all over the country, saying their houses shook because of the tremor.

Those living in high buildings or areas would have felt the shock most.

Many expressed shock, though one person saw the lighter side of the incident: "I know I've been drinking wine over lunch but I could have sworn it wasn't the alcohol that was making the table shake," he said.