At least one person is dead after a huge earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale rocked Turkey this morning.

The natural disaster struck the popular resort town of Marmaris, shaking hotels and forcing people to be evacuated from their rooms as they waited for possible aftershocks.

British tourists described the shock tremor as ‘petrifying’ and reported being thrown from their beds by the force of the quake.

Following the quake, TUI sent an urgent alert to holidaymakers in the region, instructing them to remain calm and to follow the advice of local authorities.

While the UK Foreign Office has yet to update their official guidance on travel to and from Turkey, they have issued general advice around earthquakes.

The FCDO says if an earthquake strikes, you should immediately drop to the ground, cover your head and try to hold onto something stationary. 

If you are located near the ocean, the advice is to move to higher ground as soon as possible. 

Current advice says: ‘The area around the Cycladic islands of Santorini (Thira), Anafi, Ios and Amorgos, experienced increased earthquake activity in early 2025. This increase has since subsided and the tourist season is expected to continue as usual.’

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Following the quake, TUI sent an urgent alert to holidaymakers in the region, instructing them to remain calm and to follow the advice of local authorities

Following the quake, TUI sent an urgent alert to holidaymakers in the region, instructing them to remain calm and to follow the advice of local authorities

A hotel worker in Mugla is seen leaping over the front desk and running to safety outside as the quake struck

A hotel worker in Mugla is seen leaping over the front desk and running to safety outside as the quake struck

In relation to Turkey, it continues: ‘Many parts of Turkey regularly experience earthquakes and tremors.

‘These can be high magnitude, cause damage to infrastructure, and pose a risk to life. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake which occurred in the Sea of Marmara in April 2025, was felt strongly in Istanbul. Be aware of the risk of aftershocks.’

It adds: ‘Follow advice from local authorities, tour operators and accommodation providers. See the US Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance about what to do, before, during and after an earthquake.’

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said the earthquake started in the Mediterranean Sea at 2.17am.

It was so powerful that the shockwaves were felt in Greece, with people awoken from their sleep on the island of Rhodes and holidaymakers at some hotels also being told to evacuate.

A 14-year-old girl died following a panic attack and some 70 people were hurt in the Mugla province as they rushed to find safety, including ‘some who jumped from a height’, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

‘The quake struck at 2:17 am (2317 GMT on Monday) some 10 kilometres (six miles) off the coast of Marmaris,’ the AFAD disaster agency said.

‘In Fethiye, a 14-year-old girl named Afranur Gunlu was taken to the hospital due to a panic attack but, unfortunately, despite all interventions, she passed away,’ Yerlikaya said. Fethiyeh lies around 60 miles to the east of Marmaris.

CCTV cameras inside a restaurant also captured the moment as worried people fled into the street

CCTV cameras inside a restaurant also captured the moment as worried people fled into the street

CCTV footage shows people inside a restaurant sprinting to get outside, with one man seen jumping over the wall

CCTV footage shows people inside a restaurant sprinting to get outside, with one man seen jumping over the wall

Video footage of the moment the quake struck shows people running out of restaurants and hotels into the street. 

Residents and tourists rushed to get into the open air, with many seen gathering in parks and the streets in the early hours of the morning to avoid any falling debris.

Of those injured, 14 were treated at the scene, eight were briefly treated then discharged and another 46 were being treated in hospital, he said.

There were no initial reports of buildings destroyed in residential areas, Yerlikaya said. 

Many popular seaside resorts are located in Mugla province, including Marmaris, Bodrum and Fethiye, which welcomed 3.7 million foreign visitors in 2024, the Anatolu state news agency said.

The earthquake was also ‘broadly felt’ in Greece’s Dodecanese islands, the national quake protection authority chief Efthymios Lekkas told the enikos.gr news portal, saying some tourists in Rhodes had been forced to evacuate their hotels.

But there were no reports of injuries, he said.

Travel firm TUI advised tourists in the region to ‘remain calm and follow any safety instructions provided by your accommodation or local officials.’ 

Different monitors measured the quake as a 6.0-magnitude tremor

Different monitors measured the quake as a 6.0-magnitude tremor

A pair of cats were seen on camera leaping into the air as the powerful quake hit

A pair of cats were seen on camera leaping into the air as the powerful quake hit

The quake was also felt in Egypt, according to the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics.

The earthquake struck six miles away from the Marmaris at a depth of 42 miles, experts estimated. 

Aftershocks of up to magnitude 5 were initially anticipated in Turkey, though it appears the risk of these has passed.

Greek seismologist Efthimios Lekkas told local outlet ERT News that the earthquake’s depth – below the earth’s crust – meant it could be felt across a wider area and was ‘very intense’ in Rhodes.

But, he added: ‘It will not have a significant impact on the surface, there will be no tsunami, and above all, there will not be a rich aftershock sequence.’

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