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THE EPICENTRE OF THE QUAKE WAS JUST NORTH OF CRETE NEIL SHAW Assistant Editor 06:25, 22 May 2025Updated 08:10, 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. The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office warns tourists to stay alert to natural disasters in

Greece. Their alert reads: "Greece can experience extreme natural phenomena such as earthquakes, wildfires, extreme heat and flash floods." It adds: "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." According to Foreign Office advice, you should: * familiarise yourself with safety procedures in the event of an earthquake * follow advice given by the local

authorities * call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger Article continues below For further guidance on how to prepare for earthquakes, visit the Greek Ministry

of Civil Protection (in English) and to see, for anywhere in Greece, where your nearest assembly points are located in case of emergency you can visit mysafetyplan.gov.gr (map with text in

Greek). To be alerted to events near where you are located in Greece, register for alerts from the Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service (in English): * for iPhones go to

Settings > Notifications and enable the ‘Emergency Alerts’ option at the bottom * for Android 11 and higher go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Wireless

Emergency Alerts * for Samsung devices go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Notifications > Emergency Notifications and enable the ‘Emergency Alerts’ option