According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the tremor was centered near the coastal town of Marmaris and was felt across a wide area, including southern Greece, western Turkey, and parts of the Aegean coast. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported the quake occurred around 2:17 a.m. local time at a depth of 68 kilometers, approximately 29 kilometers north of Rhodes.
Tragically, at least one person has died in Turkey. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that a 14-year-old boy in the resort town of Fethiye succumbed to injuries after being taken to a hospital. Dozens more were injured in the province of Muğla, with many sustaining injuries while attempting to flee buildings in panic.
Acar Ünlü, the mayor of Marmaris, told local broadcaster NTV that the quake caused widespread alarm. Emergency teams were quickly deployed to assess the situation and ensure public safety.
Tourists vacationing on Rhodes also reported being shaken awake by the tremor. “Nothing like being woken up while on the 5th floor of a building in Rhodes, while an earthquake is violently shaking the building! Something I can tick off the list,” wrote one visitor on social media platform X.
Seismic activity is common in this region. On February 6, 2023, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and neighboring Syria, killing more than 53,000 people in Turkey and around 6,000 in Syria. It caused extensive destruction across 11 Turkish provinces.
Just last month, a 6.1-magnitude quake off the coast of Crete triggered a tsunami alert from the EMSC. While the earthquake caused landslides and forced the closure of popular tourist spots, no serious injuries or damage were reported.
Authorities in both Turkey and Greece continue to monitor aftershocks and assess the damage from this latest seismic event.
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