Crete earthquake: Tsunami warning issued and British tourists terrified as magnitude 6 quake hits islands in Greece
A tsunami warning has been issued after a magnitude 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck southern Greek islands early on Thursday.
The epicentre was in the sea 36 miles north-northeast of Elounda, which is on the northern coast of Crete.
It was 43 miles deep, according to the US Geological Survey.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) issued a tsunami warning and referred people in Greece, Turkey, Italy, France and Portugal to their local authorities for updates.
🔔#Earthquake (#σεισμός) M3.0 occurred 75 km NE of #Irákleion (#Greece) 20 min ago (local time 07:32:13). More info at:📱https://t.co/QMSpuj6Z2H🌐https://t.co/fU0bQHexmh🖥https://t.co/TzhVPfFC4o pic.twitter.com/7aotuPz9DC
— EMSC (@LastQuake) May 22, 2025
The tremor was felt across the Aegean Sea, including in parts of Turkey and Israel. Residents in eastern Crete reported on the EMSC website that they felt the tremor, including some saying they woke up as their bed started shaking, but no evacuations were ordered.
Regional government official Giorgos Tsapakos told state-run television that "there are no reports of injuries or any serious damage" following initial assessments of the affected areas.
The shock was felt extensively across islands throughout the Aegean Sea.
British tourists caught up in the earthquake shared their experiences and fears.
One British holidaymaker said on TikTok in the immediate aftermath: 'That was very scary. I was scared last time but this time I'm terrified ... That's been two earthquakes in the past week and I just want to get home safely. I just want to leave.'
She said she was trying to reassure her children 'but now we're worried about a tsunami'. 'This is just my worst nightmare.'
Another holidaymaker told TikTok followers: 'Excuse the state of me. I've just been woken up by a f***ing earthquake.'
Fearing the tsunami warning, she added: 'I'm just looking at the sea now thinking, "does that look any different?"'
Earthquake and Planning Protection Organisation director Efthymios Lekkas noted that deeper earthquakes typically cause less surface damage.
Greece sits on major fault lines and experiences frequent seismic activity.
This is a developing story and is being updated.
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