One person has died and multiple others were left injured after a huge earthquake hit the Greek island of Crete.
The 6.5 magnitude quake struck off the coast of the island at just after 9.15am local time on Monday.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said the tremor occurred 23km southeast of the island's capital city Heraklion.
A number of aftershocks have also struck the area, with the EMSC stating that the strongest one registered a magnitude of 4.6.
The town of Arkalochori appears to be the worst hit, with one person killed after the dome of the Church of Prophet Elias collapsed.
Several people were also trapped inside the building and in their homes after rubble prevented them from escaping.
Rescuers have freed people trapped by the collapsed buildings, while all schools in Heraklion have been cleared so any structural damage can be assessed.
Meanwhile, a tsunami warning has been issued in nearby Turkey following the earthquake.
Tourists are being evacuated from hotels in Crete, with the Creta Maris beach resort one of those taking the precautionary measure.
The island is popular with holidaymakers from Ireland, and as it stands, no flights to or from Heraklion airport have been cancelled.
One tourist from the UK, Nigel Blythe, who is renting a first-floor Airbnb apartment in Ziros, south-east Crete, was eating breakfast when the floor began "shaking from side to side".
"I thought I was imagining it at first and then scrambled to get out of the apartment," he told the Mirror.
"It was very clear that the whole apartment was shaking from right to left. I was trying to think quickly and grab stuff, and literally get out of the door.
One tourist tweeted: "Okay, that was interesting - just as we were finishing breakfast it sounded like a lorry was going to come through the wall and everything shook.
"Online reports show it as a 5.6 to 6.3 magnitude #earthquake epicentred a few kilometres away. #Crete."
Another wrote: "I'm shaking so bad this was the biggest and scariest earthquake I've ever experienced."
The quake affected countries Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, Libya and North Macedonia.
Some social media users reported having felt tremors as far away as Santorini and Analipsi.
Authorities have deployed helicopters to assess the extent of the damage and direct rescue teams, and have already received reports of significant damage to water supply networks as well as buildings in some areas.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been contacted by the Irish Mirror for comment.
