Greece Crete Earthquakes Update: Tsunami warning issued for popular holiday island Crete as powerful earthquake strikes - tourists told to 'move away'

 The tsunami alert has been issued this morning (Wednesday 14 May) along parts of the coastlines, including on Crete, after a powerful 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck. The tremor has sparked fears of a potential tsunami, with Greece’s Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection issuing the urgent alert with particular concern for the Kasos region.

Authorities are urging residents and tourists in the area to stay away from the coastline and to move to higher ground as a precautionary measure. "A magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurred 48km SE of Kasos. Risk of possible Tsunami in your area," said the Ministry via its X account this morning. "Move away from the coast immediately. Follow the instructions of Local Authorities."

There are currently no immediate reports of injuries or major damage, but officials are monitoring the situation closely and have warned people to remain vigilant. The Greek island of Crete and its surrounding region have long been known as one of Europe’s most earthquake-prone zones.

Greece's emergency services have warned people to move away from the coast after an offshore earthquake struck near the island of Kasos.

"A magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurred 48km [south-east] of Kasos. Risk of possible Tsunami in your area," the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection posted on the 112 Greece account. "Move away from the coast immediately."

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. Greece sits at the meeting point of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it a hotspot for seismic activity.

Tremor also felt in Egypt

The quake was at a depth of 83 kilometers (52 miles), the German Research Centre for Geoscience (GFZ) said.

GFZ recorded the earthquake as being magnitude 6.3, according to AFP news agency, higher than that reported by the Greek authorities.

Tremors from the quake were felt as far away as Israel and southwestern Turkey.

People in Egypt also felt the quake with the country's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics reporting a magnitude of 6.4 but no casualties or property damage.

Greece is located on a number of fault lines and is sporadically hit by earthquakes. 

Between January 26 and February 13, more than 18,400 quakes, mainly of a low magnitude, were recorded off islands in the Cyclades archipelago, including the popular tourist island of Santorini, according to the University of Athens seismology laboratory.