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A severe earthquake struck western Turkey and the Greek island of Samos on Friday. At least four people have died and there are about 120 injured, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.
The US earthquake monitoring station, USGS, reported a magnitude 7 for the earthquake. Turkish and Greek media reported a strength of 6.6. Therefore, the center of the earthquake was in the Aegean Sea.
According to initial findings, the earthquake occurred very close to the surface. It is also said to be extraordinarily long, around 30 seconds, as announced by the Samos city council. So far, there is information on four people injured in Samos, including a seriously injured woman.
A tsunami is said to have occurred in the small town of Vathy on the Mediterranean island. Greek television channels show images of the flooded coastal promenade, where the water washed away the cars.
Floods in Samos
The German Geosciences Research Center (GFZ) in Potsdam reported 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. Before that, clouds of dust had risen over Samos. Many buildings were damaged, Greek state television reported.
In Turkey, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu wrote for the first time that six buildings had collapsed and others had been damaged. Turkish news broadcaster TRT showed images of a collapsed building in Izmir and reported panic on the streets during the earthquake. Telephone connections were interrupted.
Feel the tremors in Athens
Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer said nearly 20 buildings collapsed in the province. There was still the fear that people would be buried under the rubble. Educational work continued, Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum told TRT television. So far, four people have been rescued from the rubble, he said.
According to various reports, the quake, which according to the Anadolu news agency occurred at 2:51 pm local time, was felt in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul and even the Greek capital Athens.
Erdogan promises help
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the population in a tweet. Help the people affected by the earthquake by all means, he wrote.
The President of the EU Council, Charles Michel, also offered aid to Turkey and Greece. “My thoughts are with all those affected,” Michel wrote on Twitter on Friday. “The EU is ready to provide support.”
