Mohamed Garba
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey early on Tuesday, claiming the life of a 14-year-old girl and sending dozens to hospitals as residents scrambled for safety. The tremor, which occurred at 2:17 AM local time (2317 GMT Monday), was felt across a wide region, including neighboring Greece and as far as Egypt.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the fatality, identifying the victim as Afranur Gunlu, a 14-year-old from Fethiye, approximately 100 kilometers east of Marmaris. She tragically died at the hospital following a panic attack induced by the quake.
The quake’s impact was largely felt in Mugla province, a popular tourist destination that includes the bustling resorts of Marmaris, Bodrum, and Fethiye. Yerlikaya reported that around 70 people in the province sustained injuries, many of whom were hurt while attempting to flee buildings, including some who “jumped from a height.” Of those injured, 14 received immediate on-site treatment, eight were briefly hospitalized and discharged, while 46 others remain under hospital care.
Despite the widespread panic, initial assessments indicated no reports of destroyed buildings in residential areas, a relief for authorities in a region that welcomed 3.7 million foreign visitors in 2024.
The earthquake, which Turkey’s AFAD disaster agency reported originated about 10 kilometers (six miles) offshore, also caused significant concern in Greece. Efthymios Lekkas, head of Greece’s national quake protection authority, told enikos.gr that the tremor was “broadly felt” across the Dodecanese islands. Reports indicated that some tourists in Rhodes were forced to evacuate their hotels, though no injuries were reported in Greece.
Further afield, the earthquake was also registered by the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics in Egypt, highlighting the far-reaching seismic activity.
As residents and tourists in southwestern Turkey begin to assess the aftermath, the focus remains on the recovery of the injured and providing support to the family of the young girl who lost her life in this unexpected natural disaster.
