The disaster claimed the life of a 14-year-old girl in Fethiye, reportedly due to a panic attack.
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Turkey off the coast of Marmaris, at 2:17 a.m. local time on 3 June 2025. The epicentre lay in the Mediterranean Sea, about 10km from the Turkish resort town, at a depth of 68km. Tremors were widely felt across southwestern Turkey, including Muğla and Fethiye, and on the Greek island of Rhodes. Residents and tourists reported being jolted awake as buildings swayed during the night.
The disaster claimed the life of a 14-year-old girl in Fethiye, reportedly due to a panic attack, confirmed Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. At least 70 others were injured across Turkey, many after leaping from balconies or windows in fear. Seven were injured in Muğla province alone, according to Governor Idris Akbiyik. Despite the panic, officials confirmed there was no major structural damage.
On Rhodes, although there were no injuries, hotel guests were seen evacuating in the middle of the night. A British tourist described the hotel shaking “like a baby’s cradle.” On social media, some users expressed gratitude that the quake was not stronger, referencing the catastrophic 2023 earthquake in southern Turkey which killed over 53,000 people.
Just hours after the initial quake, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded another tremor measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale near the Greek island of Crete, about 338 kilometres southwest of Rhodes. No injuries have been reported so far, but the tremor has amplified geological concerns across the region.
Joining a live broadcast on CNN TURK, Professor Suleyman Pampal assessed the risk: “There are trenches to the north of the Hellenic arc and the Cyprus arc, located south of the Crete fault line. This recent quake occurred very close to those. Nearby is also the Fethiye–Burdur fault zone, which is active and has previously generated a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The region is not stable. The possibility of an earthquake between magnitude 8 and 9 is always present in this area. While these are smaller tremors, the potential for a major one is real. It’s crucial to stay on alert. Precaution is essential.”
