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A strong earthquake shook western Turkey and parts of Greece. Turkish media report several deaths and around 120 injuries. In addition, people were buried. There were isolated tsunamis.
After a severe earthquake in the Aegean Sea, there were initial reports of several deaths and injuries in Turkey. Damage was also reported in Greece.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center provisionally granted the earthquake strength 6.9. The epicenter was 13 kilometers northeast of the Greek island of Samos. According to the Turkish Disaster Management Authority, the focus of the earthquake was in the Aegean Sea at a depth of 16.5 kilometers.
Numerous people buried
After the earthquake, several buildings collapsed and people were buried in western Turkey. According to the Turkish media, at least four people died. 120 people were injured, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter. The TRT television station showed images of collapsed apartment buildings and clouds of dust over the city of Izmir. Panic was reported on the streets during the earthquake and telephone connections were cut.
The Interior Ministry spoke of six buildings destroyed and Mayor Tunc Soyer of 20. According to the Ministry of Health, 38 ambulances, two rescue helicopters and 35 medical teams were in action. At first nothing was known about the exact circumstances. Reconnaissance work continued, said Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum. Several people were saved from the rubble, he said.
The tremors could be felt as far as Istanbul, the Greek capital Athens and Bulgaria. In Samos, people fled their homes and there were reports of damage to buildings and roads. Governor Yannis Stamoulis asked citizens to stay away from the buildings because there are still aftershocks. Four people were being treated for minor injuries, a Samos hospital said.
Tsunami warning
There was a tsunami in the small town of Vathy. Greek television stations showed images of the flooded coastal walk, where the water washed away the cars. Flooded streets can also be seen in images from Seferihisar, Turkey. A small tsunami reportedly struck there as well.
In an interview with TRT, experts warned of a possible additional tsunami. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam also provided information on the “severe earthquake with tsunami”. According to GFZ calculations, the waves reached heights of more than 1.5 meters. They could possibly reach up to three meters high on the coast.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the population in a tweet. Help the people affected by the earthquake by all means. The President of the Council of the EU, Charles Michel, offered the two affected countries the aid of the European Union. “My thoughts go out to all those affected,” Michel wrote on Twitter. “The EU is ready to provide support.”
