'I was on Rhodes when earthquake struck - whole hotel was shaking'
Holidaymakers have recounted terrifying moments as their hotels shook during a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck western Turkey and the neighbouring Greek islands in the early hours of Tuesday.
The quake, which was centred on the Turkish resort of Marmaris when it struck at 2.17am, has resulted in one fatality and at least 69 people injured. The tremor also spread across areas such as the Greek island of Rhodes, abruptly rousing many from their sleep.
Belfast dad Matthew McCormick, on a family getaway in Rhodes, was startled awake by an ominous rumbling sound.
"We got to bed and had just fallen over to sleep and the next thing there was just this loud, rumbling noise," the 35 year old told the PA news agency. "And then the next minute, the whole hotel was just shaking."
Completely taken aback, his immediate thoughts turned to protecting his young daughter: "It was very surreal, it woke me and my wife up and my first concern was for the four-year-old beside us. She woke up and she started to cry.
"She was terrified – I think for us at that point, it was just trying to make sure she was OK. I tried to have a look at the roof, and it didn't look like there were any cracks or anything appearing in the roof. I figured that we were safe enough."
Mr McCormick, who is returning to Belfast on Tuesday, initially feared a bombing, but soon realised they were experiencing a natural disaster.
"My gut feeling was either there's been bombs landing somewhere or it's an earthquake," he said. "Given some of the current global politics there was a slight fear that something had kicked off here overnight."
Despite the nocturnal disturbance, Mr McCormick observed no evidence of destruction and tranquil seas by Tuesday afternoon.
Turkish interior minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on X that a teenage girl was rushed to the hospital and died after what he described as an anxiety attack.
It remained unclear if she suffered from any pre-existing conditions. At least 69 people received medical attention for injuries caused by leaping out of windows or from balconies in a state of alarm, according to him, but no structural damage was reported.
Salem Swan, a 25-year-old Sunderland-based carer vacationing in Bodrum, Turkey, experienced her hotel sway with the quake as well.
"The earthquake wasn't that strong where we are in Bodrum, we are about 164km from Marmaris where the earthquake hit," she told PA. "There was some shaking around 2.15am for us, but it only lasted for maybe 30 seconds to a minute here so it was over quite quickly.
"None of the buildings here were affected as far as I know but we have had a leak in our accommodation bathroom which we are under the impression the earthquake potentially had caused."
Turkey is perched atop significant fault lines, making earthquakes a common occurrence. In 2023, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake claimed over 53,000 lives in Turkey, leaving hundreds of thousands of buildings in ruins across 11 southern and southeastern provinces.
An additional 6,000 individuals lost their lives in the northern regions of neighbouring Syria. Currently, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not issued any travel advisories against visiting western Turkey or the Greek islands.
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