A strong 5.8-magnitude earthquake has struck the popular holiday resort of Marmaris, Türkiye, with intense tremors also felt on the neighbouring Greek island of Rhodes. A 14-year-old girl has reportedly died in the town of Fethiye in Türkiye after suffering a panic attack, while at least 69 people sustained injuries while jumping from buildings in Rhodes and elsewhere.
This is, of course, worrying news if you have a trip booked to the region. Here’s everything we know so far about travel disruptions and whether it’s safe to visit Greece and Türkiye.
Where was the earthquake?
The 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck at 2.17am local time in the Mediterranean Sea off of Türkiye’s southwestern coast, causing locals and tourists to evacuate buildings in Marmaris and the neighbouring Greek island of Rhodes.
Is it safe to travel to Türkiye and Greece?
The UK Foreign Office has not updated its advice page for travelling to Türkiye or Greece following the earthquake, and flights are operating as normal.
According to Metro, seismologist Efthimios Lekkas told Greece’s state-run broadcaster ERT News that they ‘are in no way worried about these earthquakes’ and that, though the earthquake ‘was intense due to its depth … the seismic waves do not have the energy they should have to see damage on the surface’.
When was the last earthquake in Türkiye?
As Türkiye sits on top of major fault lines, there’s a high chance of earthquakes. The most recent serious earthquakes struck Türkiye and neighbouring Syria in February 2023, killing over 50,000 people, displacing thousands more, and destroying buildings on both sides of the border.
Today’s earthquake comes just weeks after a 5.9-magnitude tremor hit the Greek islands of Crete, Kasos and Karpathos, triggering a tsunami warning.
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