Crete among greek islands hits by earthquake as tourists issued urgent message

THE EARTHQUAKE WAS FELT EXTENSIVELY ACROSS ISLANDS THROUGHOUT THE AEGEAN SEA 06:53, 22 May 2025 A 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook 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. 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. 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, but there's been no official warning not to travel to Crete or the Greek islands. According to the Mirror, the quake has

sparked the Greek government to issue a national directive. It has ordered everywhere, including tourists, to "move away from the coast and reach a higher place" for their own

safety. No significant damage has been reported following the quake but authorities are fearful of more movement. Tremors have been felt as far as Turkey, Egypt and Israel today. The mayor

of Agios Nikolaos, Manolis Menegakis, told Mega TV station: "We are vigilant." _JOIN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS WHATSAPP GROUP HERE_ Last week, a powerful 5.9 magnitude earthquake

struck in Greece, with the epicentre near the coast of Crete, the most populous of the Greek islands. The Greek island of Crete and its surrounding region have long been known as one of

Europe’s most earthquake-prone zones. Back in October 2021, a 6.3 magnitude quake rattled Crete just weeks after another deadly tremor killed one person and injured at least a dozen others.

The earlier quake, which happened in September 2021, devastated villages near Heraklion, damaging hundreds of homes and leaving scores of families displaced. --- _Day in day out, our

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