Strong earthquake strikes Turkey, six dead, 120 wounded

The 6.6-magnitude earthquake has destroyed many buildings in western Izmir, raising fears of casualties. The temblor was also felt in Greek island of Samos where a church has suffered damages. A strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea has shaken Turkey and Greece.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said Friday’s earthquake was centered in the Aegean Sea at a depth of 16.5 kilometers (10.3 miles) and registered at a 6.6 magnitude. The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude at 7.0.

Turkish officials said at least 20 buildings collapsed in Izmir with people trapped under the debris in at least five sites.

Local media showed wreckage of a multiple-story building in central Izmir, with people climbing it to reach rescuers. Smoke was filmed in several spots.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, with an epicentre 13 kilometres north northeast of the Greek island of Samos.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, offering condolences after a strong earthquake felt in both countries killed civilians in the Turkish city of Izmir.

Officials report

Bugra Gokce, secretary-general of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, told Turkish news channel NTV that several houses in the city had been destroyed in the tremor.

Turkish media said the earthquake was felt across the regions of Aegean and Marmara, where Istanbul is located. Istanbul’s governor said there were no reports of damage.

The quake was felt across the eastern Greek islands and even in the Greek capital Athens. Greek media said the residents of Samos and other islands fled their homes, while some rockfalls were reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Residents of Samos, an island with a population of about 45,000, were urged to stay away from coastal areas, Eftyhmios Lekkas, head of Greece’s organization for anti-seismic planning, told Greece’s Skai TV.

“It was a very big earthquake, it’s difficult to have a bigger one,” said Lekkas.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Source: Agencies