Tourists in western Turkey and the Greek islands were shaken awake on Monday night as a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the popular holiday destination of Rhodes.
At least one person has died in Turkey, while dozens of people sustained injuries as panicked locals tried to jump off their buildings, according to local reports.
The quake struck about 29km north of Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese islands near the Turkey border, at around 2.17am (local time) on Tuesday at a depth of 68km, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
The shockwaves were felt across parts of southern Greece, western Turkey, and coastal areas of the Aegean Sea, local reports said.
A 14-year-old child died in the resort town of Fethiye following the earthquake, interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said. The teenager was brought to the hospital but could not be saved, he added.
Dozens of locals were taken to hospital for treatment in Mugla in Turkey after they suffered injuries while trying to rush outside their homes.
Acar Unlu, the mayor of the Turkish resort town of Marmaris, told NTV broadcast that the region was jolted by the earthquake, prompting disaster management teams to be dispatched to assess the damage.
❗Update: #Earthquake (#σεισμός, #deprem) M5.8 occurred 29 km N of #Ródos (#Greece) 34 min ago (local time 02:17:27). Info at:
— EMSC (@LastQuake) June 2, 2025
📱https://t.co/QMSpuj6Z2H
🌐https://t.co/HCYjJBakPR
🖥https://t.co/2Mqwnj4qIm pic.twitter.com/HMgE8pPxbh
Tourists in the Greek islands hit by the earthquake this morning said they were woken by violent shaking. "Nothing like being woken up while on the 5th floor building in Rhodes, while an earthquake is violently shaking the building! Something I can tick off the list," said X user Steven.
"Rather surreal to feel the whole hotel move," added another holidaymaker.
Just experienced an earthquake on the last night of our holiday in Rhodes! That was crazy. Hotel rocked like a baby's cradle!! Hope everyone is OK 🙏
— Emma Heatherington (@EmmaLouWriter) June 2, 2025
"Just experienced an earthquake on the last night of our holiday in Rhodes! That was crazy," wrote author Emma Heatherington on X.
Travel agency TUI cautioned British tourists in the region to “remain calm and follow any safety instructions provided by your accommodation or local officials”.
The region was struck by multiple aftershocks ranging from 2.2 to 2.9 magnitude, with epicentres near Mugla and Rhodes, shortly after the powerful earthquake jolted the islands.
Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, meaning earthquakes there are relatively frequent.
At least 53,000 people were killed in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on 6 February 2023 followed by a second powerful tremor. The earthquakes destroyed scores of buildings and roads in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. The same incident killed 6,000 people in neighbouring Syria.
Last month a powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Crete in Greece, prompting the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) to issue an alert for a possible tsunami. Some popular sites on the island were closed amid landslides, but no significant injuries or damage were reported.
In April this year, about 236 residents were injured after jumping from buildings in panic following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Istanbul. Many residents were also forced to spend the night outdoors after powerful aftershocks.
Ukraine war latest: Zelensky aide hits out at Putin’s negotiators after Turkey talks
US citizen who joined Islamic State in Syria is sentenced to 10 years in prison
Syrian government and Kurdish-led force exchange prisoners in a step toward easing tensions
Mount Etna eruption live: Huge volcano eruption in Italy sends tourists fleeing
‘Mount Etna is erupting, look!’ Tourists flee as volcano spews ash and lava
Mount Etna eruption mapped: How often does Italy’s ‘Lady of the Rings’ volcano erupt?
