Rhodes earthquake: British tourists trapped in 'shaking airport' as 4.8 tremor hits

British tourists in Rhodes experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday night.

The earthquake, which had its epicentre in the Aegean Sea about 67km (41 miles) south-west of the island, caused noticeable tremors but no severe damage.

Many holidaymakers took to social media to describe their experiences.

One person shared: "Yeah like the whole airport shook so quick outta nowhere, the walls and floor shaking. It felt weird and crazy."

Another tourist said: "Just felt it in Rhodes in our hotel room."

A third joked: "Near Faliraki. Table was shaking on our hotel balcony. Thought I’d had a few too many."

Others reported feeling the quake in various parts of the island, including Gennadi and Lindos.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) noted that nearby towns such as Gennadi, Lardos, Archangelos, and the island's capital, Rhodes, might have felt weak shaking. The tremor was also felt in Turkey.

An EMSC spokesperson stated: "Our monitoring service identified a second report from the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) which listed the quake at magnitude 4.9 as well.

"Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicentre."

Earthquakes are relatively common on Rhodes. In January 2023, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck the island, with tremors felt as far as Egypt and Lebanon.

The largest recorded earthquake in Greek history occurred in 1956 on the island of Amorgos, measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale and causing significant destruction and a tsunami, resulting in 53 deaths and 100 injuries.