Earthquake shock: panic tourists in Rhodes-what to do now!

Earthquake shock: panic tourists in Rhodes-what to do now!

In the night of Tuesday, an earthquake of the strength 5.8 occurred on the west coast of Türkiye. The epicenter was at a depth of 68 kilometers near Marmaris, about 29 kilometers from the Greek island of Rhodes. It is the second heavier quake within a few weeks after a strong quake had affected Istanbul. Videos show in panic people who jump out of windows. Tragically, a 14-year-old girl died after a panic attack in the hospital.

Despite the dramatic scenes, there was happiness in misfortune for the region: in Marmaris and in Rhodes, no visible damage to buildings and no injuries were reported. Seismologist Vassili's Karastathis explained that the quake was not worrying and that no debt was expected. A total of four earthquakes have been registered in Greece since mid -May.

earthquake risk in the region

Türkiye and Greece are among the most earthiest holiday countries in Europe. Between 1900 and 2021 over 102 of the earth was recorded. The islands of Crete, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos, Kos, Rhodes, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Lefkas are particularly endangered areas in Greece. Athens and Thessaloniki are also considered risk areas. Thanks to stricter building regulations since the 1980s, however, the number of fatalities by earthquakes in Greece has been at zero in recent years

In Istanbul, 1.5 million apartments and commercial units are considered to be at risk of earthquake. Dealing with natural disasters is also regulated in tourism: package travelers have the right to cancel their journey with a natural disaster and request partial reimbursement. Events must provide comprehensive information and support those affected.

political tensions and solidarity

Despite the recurring earthquake, the geopolitical situation between Turkey and Greece remains tense. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had threatened with the words in September 2022: "We can come one night." This threat referred to the Greek islands near the Turkish coast. According to a survey from autumn 2022, 47.2 percent of the Greeks are concerned about a possible war with Turkey, while only 19.8 percent believe that other EU countries would intervene military Despite these tensions, there is a remarkable solidarity between the two countries in natural disasters. After the devastating earthquakes in Turkey in February 2023, Greece immediately offered help. Greek media reported comprehensively on this support, which many interpreted as a sign of approaching.

The political tensions could come back to the fore after the upcoming elections in Turkey. Some commentators fear that Erdoğan could provoke the conflicts to mobilize the nationalist votes. For the period after the elections, no change of government is regarded as a solution to the Greek-Turkish conflicts.

Overall, the region remains susceptible to natural disasters, as the repeated earthquakes show. Geophysical natural disasters are unpredictable threats that are exposed to over 7 billion people on earth. Combination centers such as Istanbul are particularly risk, given their proximity to tectonic breaking zones.

awareness and preparations for such events are essential to ensure the safety of residents and tourists.

Further information on the earthquakes in the region can be found on lvz , on the political framework on Statista .