Travel agency sends message to tourists after earthquake rocks Greece and Turkey

Metro

4 days ago

Travel agencies have urged tourists to stay calm after an earthquake rocked western Turkey and parts of Greece in the middle of the night.
People were jolted awake when a 5.8 magnitude quake shook the Turkish coastal town of Marmaris, around 40km north of the Greek holiday island of Rhodes around 2.17am Monday.
A 14-year-old girl died in the resort town of Fethiye, on Turkey's Turquoise Coast, the country's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. He said the teenager was taken to hospital but could not be saved.
Dozens were injured in Mugla, on Turkey's Aegean coast, as panicked residents tried to jump from buildings, according to local media reports.
No injuries were reported in Rhodes but tourists on the island said they woke to violent shaking.
Matthew McCormick, from Belfast, wrote on X: 'Jeepers, nothing like an earthquake in Rhodes to get you going at 2am. Rather surreal to feel the whole hotel move.'
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Travel operator TUI told holidaymakers to 'remain calm' and follow instructions from local authorities.
Seismologist Efthimios Lekkas told Greece's state-run broadcaster ERT News that the earthquake's depth caused it to be felt across a wider area.
He said: 'We are in no way worried about these earthquakes.
'This one was intense due to its depth, it covers a larger surface area, but the seismic waves do not have the energy they should have to see damage on the surface.'
The news comes weeks after nearby Crete was shaken by a stronger 6.1 magnitude earthquake, which triggered a tsunami warning.
Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines and in some parts of the country, earthquakes are frequent.
In April, Istanbul was rocked by a series earthquakes, something scientists have been warning about for years.
Buildings shook and people fled onto the streets of Turkey's biggest city after three consecutive earthquakes – as strong as 6.2 magnitude – hit before 1pm local time.
More than 150 people were hospitalised with injuries sustained while jumping from buildings.
The shocks were felt as far as Greece, Bulgaria and Romania.
Live TV captured the moment CNN Türk anchor Meltem Bozbeyoglu realised what was happening.
The BBC's senior international correspondent Orla Guerin, who lives in Istanbul, said she has never felt an earthquake so powerful in six years of living in the city.
Anxiety around earthquakes has run high in Turkey since 2023, when a series of massive shocks killed more than 55,000 people in southeastern parts of the country and neighbouring Syria.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 6 February 2023, and a second powerful tremor that came hours later, destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and south-eastern Turkish provinces, leaving more than 53,000 people dead.
Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of Syria.
Whole neighbourhoods were flattened and people slept outside in fear of aftershocks for weeks.
While Istanbul was not impacted by that earthquake, the devastation heightened fears of a similar quake with experts citing the city's proximity to fault lines.
As of 9am Tuesday, the UK Foreign Office has not updated its travel guidance for Turkey or Greece.
If an earthquake strikes, the FCDO says you should drop to the ground, cover your head and hold on to something stationary.
If you are inside a building, you are advised to stay where you are. Avoid sheltering under door frames.
If you are near the ocean, the advice will always be to move to higher ground.
As aftershocks can occur, the FCDO recommends following local advice regarding evacuation or sheltering in place after an initial earthquake.
The FCDO will set up a specific crisis response to help British nationals who might be affected. This can include a dedicated hotline or online registration where you can apply for assistance.
In April, Metro spoke to Pelin Bengu, general manager at Intrepid Travel Turkey, about what to do if you're caught in an earthquake.
We asked what travellers should know about their refund rights, and if they have the right to cancel a trip.
Pelin said: 'Unless the Foreign Office changes its advice for travel to Turkey, normal booking conditions will apply for people travelling to the country.
'If you're concerned about travelling to Turkey, it's best to contact your travel agent or tour operator for advice.'
As it stands, the FCDO also advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism. More Trending
It also warns of unrest linked to demonstrations and protests that have taken place across the country in recent weeks.
Earlier this year, hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest the arrest of Istanbul's mayor.
Like with any country, the Foreign Office advises British nationals to stay vigilant when abroad.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman told Metro it is 'monitoring' the ongoing situation in Turkey and keeps its travel advice under 'constant review'.
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