Shallow M5.7 Earthquake struck on Friday Morning near Irákleion in Greece.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 24th, 2026. Last updated May 18th, 2026.

In the early morning of Friday April 24th, 2026, a shallow and significant M5.7 earthquake hit under land 73 kilometer from Irákleion in Greece. Around 720 thousand people have been exposed to shaking. Another country near the epicenter is Türkiye.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Greece, 73 kilometer (45 mi) south-east of Irákleion in Crete. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 16 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Apr 24, 2026 06:18 (Athens Time) - Apr 24, 2026 03:18 Universal Time.
Location:	73 km SE of Irákleion, Crete, Greece. Coordinates 35°1'55"N 25°51'38"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 58 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.041 .
Depth:	16 km (10 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (1 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 720 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 720 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 21,160 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 360 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Greece , around 680 thousand people, with impact levels up to VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). In Türkiye, shaking was experienced too.

Nearby towns and cities

Greece and Türkiye are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Irákleion in Crete, Greece. Irákleion is located 73 kilometer (45 mi) south-east of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Irákleion is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VI. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 34 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 34 people have reported shaking in 17 places in 2 countries (Greece, Egypt).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Aghios Nikolaos, Nisia Aigaiou Kriti, Greece: 7 people.
• Iráklion, Iráklion, Greece: 5 people.
• Goúrnai, Iráklion, Greece: 3 people.
• Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt: 2 people.
• Limín Khersonísou, Iráklion, Greece: 2 people.
• Ierápetra, Lasíthi, Greece: 2 people.
• Palaíkastron, Lasíthi, Greece: 2 people.
• Sitía, Lasíthi, Greece: 2 people.
• Anissarás, Iráklion, Greece: 1 person.
• Vríses, Haniá, Greece: 1 person.

175 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 175 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 6 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5.1 was detected 23 km (14 mi) east of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 10 smaller foreshocks. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 3 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 2nd, 2025, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 282 km (175 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on July 20th, 2017.

In total, 11 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every year.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 18/05/26 02:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000sshc
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260424_0000044
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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