THE island of Crete was hit by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake earlier this morning.
British tourists were woken up by shaking buildings on the popular Greek holiday island.
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While there are currently no reported injuries in Crete, Greece is a hotspot for earthquakes due to being in a seismically active location.
Other locations throughout Europe also frequently face earthquakes, such as Spain and Turkey.
We’ve rounded up some of the popular holiday locations in Europe which are prone to earthquakes.
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The popular holiday locations which experience earthquakes
France
While France has not been hit by strong earthquakes in recent history, the country is still affected by shakes, especially along western France.
Rémy Bossu, the head of the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) told The Local France that Brittany is one of the most “seismically active regions”.
This is because of the “push northward of the African plate”, which means areas such as Brittany as well as the French Alps commonly have quakes.
Just last month, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit France with tremors felt as far as Bordeaux and Normandy.
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Spain
Similar to France, Spain does not have dangerously strong earthquakes although they are common in certain regions such as Costa Blanca.
In March, holiday resorts in the area were hit by a magnitude 4 earthquake, nearly 200 years after a similar quake killed 400 people.
Holiday islands such as the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are also prone to earthquakes.
Tremors were felt in Tenerife earlier this year, sparking safety concerns.
Italy
Eastern and central Italy often experience earthquakes, with a 6.2 quake in 2016 killing more than 150 people.
In April this year, a 4.7 earthquake in the same area in the Marche region rocked the country.
The country lies between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, which can result in earthquakes as they collide.
THE BIG QUAKE Which country has the most earthquakes and where was the biggest quake ever recorded?
Greece
The earthquake in Crete is not uncommon for the country, which is also in strong seismic area.
Earlier this month, an earthquake hit Athens with terrified tourists fleeing into the streets, while quakes in February hit Corfu and Patras.
Many of the islands are popular with British tourists, resulting in damaged resorts as well as injured travellers.
The last deadly earthquake was in 2017, when two people were killed in Kos after the roof of a bar collapsed.
Turkey
Turkey has experienced some of the most deadly earthquakes in the world.
In 1999, thousands of people were killed following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake.
Popular British tourist resorts, however, have less severe earthquakes with regions such as Bodrum, a popular holiday resort with Brits.
In 2017, two people were killed and many more were injured after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake.
Experts have even claimed that Turkey is at risk of even stronger earthquakes due to “considerable” tectonic strain building up.
What to do during an earthquake
The Red Cross have advice on what to do if caught up in an earthquake.
- Move as little as possible – most injuries during earthquakes occur because of people moving around, falling and suffering sprains, fractures and head injuries. Try to protect your head and torso.
- Doorways are no stronger than any other part of a structure so don’t rely on them for protection! During an earthquake, get under a sturdy piece of furniture and hold on.
- Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit.
- If you must leave a building after the shaking stops, use stairs rather than an elevator in case of aftershocks, power outages or other damage.
- Be aware that smoke alarms and sprinkler systems frequently go off in buildings during an earthquake, even if there is no fire.
- If you smell gas, get out of the house and move as far away as possible.
- Before you leave any building check to make sure that there is no debris from the building that could fall on you.
- If you are outdoors then find a clear spot and drop to the ground.
Thankfully the UK rarely experiences strong earthquakes – the most recent being a 3.3 magnitude quake in February this year.
One of the largest earthquakes to hit the UK was in 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1.
The countries with the most earthquakes are Japan and Indonesia – with the deadliest in 2004 on the island of Sumatra, triggering the Boxing Day tsunami.
