Is it safe to travel to Crete? Advice after 6.1 earthquake hits Greek island

Daily Mail​

22-05-2025

The Foreign Office has issued a statement after a powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake was detected off the coast of Crete this morning, leading to fresh fears that a possible tsunami could hit the Greek island.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) issued a tsunami warning and advised people in Greece, Turkey, Italy and as far away as France and Portugal to refer to their local authorities for updates.
The tremor was reported to have been felt across the Aegean Sea, including parts of Turkey and Israel.
Residents in Crete reported via EMSC being woken up by the quake, while others described objects falling from shelves on the lower floors of their homes, and the fear of seeing 'the building sway and creak.'
Local media showed supermarket items strewn on floors, and reported minor rockslides on rural roads, though no major damage was initially reported.
Now, residents fear that a major tsunami could hit Crete and Santorini - but what does this mean for Brits who are planning on heading to the popular holiday hotspot?
Greece's Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection advised both locals and visitors to act in accordance with information from local authorities.
They also urge the public to move away from the coast - although they have not yet specified which part of the coastline.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office encourages visitors to follow three vital procedures:
Familiarise yourself with safety procedures in the event of an earthquake
Follow advice given by the local authorities
Call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger
The Greek fire brigade said that all its forces were on high alert across the island following the quake, though it was yet to receive any calls for help.
State news agency ANA said firefighters had been placed on general alert, with vehicles patrolling to assess the situation.
The tremor, which hit 49 miles off the city of Heraklion at 6:19 a.m. (0319 GMT) on Thursday, jolting locals and tourists holidaying on the island at the start of the summer season, according to reports on X.
State television ERT said many residents in the Cretan regions of Rethymno and Lasithi were woken by the quake early in the morning and quickly exited their homes as a precaution.
'Everything shook like mad , never felt one that strong,' said one witness in Malia.
Victoria, holidaying in Hersonissos, told MailOnline she and her boyfriend were woken up this morning 'to our bed shaking lots'.
She said part of the balcony door's metal frame came off when it happened, and that it was 'very scary'.
Melissa Ford, staying in Rethymno with family, told MailOnline: 'We were woken soon after 6am to the shaking of the walls in our hotel room and the government alarm going off on our phones warning us of an earthquake.
'It was quite the shock. I imagine it lasted about 30 seconds if not longer. Fortunately, it didn't wake our children and although there were after shocks, we didn't feel them.'
Local media shared residential CCTV footage showed overhead power lines shaking as the camera wobbled.
Photos showed household items thrown from shelves in a Cretan supermarket.
The mayor of Heraklion, Alexis Kalokerinos, told ERT that there were no particular problems in the city and that closing schools would not be necessary.
The tremor 'occurred at a great depth and there is no particular reason for residents to worry,' Athanassios Ganas, general director of Research at the Geodynamics Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, told ERT.
The quake hit at a depth of 68 kilometres (42 miles), the American USGS said.
It struck just over a week after a 6.1-magnitude tremor hit near the island of Kasos east of Crete, and was felt in the outlying area.
The region, popular with tourists, has been hit with multiple tremors in recent months, prompting schools in Santorini and neighbouring islands to temporarily close.