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DHA through AP
People work on a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey, after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea.
At least four people died after a strong earthquake struck off the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, causing several buildings in Turkey’s western Izmir province to collapse.
Dozens more were injured in Turkey by the earthquake. Some damage was also reported on the Greek island of Samos, to buildings and the road network. The director of the Samos hospital said four people were treated there for minor injuries.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted that four people died in Izmir and 120 were injured. He said that 38 ambulances, two ambulance helicopters and 35 medical rescue teams were working in Izmir.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 with an epicenter 13 kilometers (8 miles) northeast of the Greek island of Samos. The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude at 7.0. It is common for preliminary magnitudes to differ in the first hours and days after an earthquake. Several aftershocks hit the region.
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There were reports of people trapped under rubble in Izmir after buildings collapsed. Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency said three injured people were rescued from the remains of a building.
Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk that about 20 buildings collapsed. The city is the third largest in Turkey with around 4.5 million inhabitants. Turkey’s interior minister tweeted that six buildings in Izmir were destroyed. He said there were small cracks in some buildings in six other provinces.
Environment and Urban Planning Minister Murat Kurum said people were trapped under the rubble and rescue efforts were underway.
Videos posted on Twitter showed flooding in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Izmir’s Seferhisar district. Turkish officials and announcers asked people to stay off the streets after reports of traffic congestion.
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A powerful earthquake in the Aegean Sea has toppled buildings in Turkey.
Turkish media showed the remains of a multi-story building in the center of Izmir, and people climbed up to begin rescue efforts. Turkish media showed that at least one woman was helped out of the rubble of a collapsed building. Smoke was filmed in various locations in central Izmir.
Turkish media said the earthquake was felt in the Aegean and Marmara regions, including Istanbul. The governor of Istanbul said there were no reports of damage in the city, Turkey’s largest.
The earthquake was felt in the eastern islands of Greece and in the Greek capital, Athens, and in Bulgaria.
Greek seismologist Efthymios Lekkas told Greek state television ERT that it was still too early to say whether this was the main earthquake, although he said it likely was.
“It is an evolving event,” Lekkas said, adding that some damage had been reported in parts of Samos.
A tsunami warning was issued, and residents of the Samos area were told to stay away from the coast. The water rose over the pier in the main port of Samos and flooded the street.
Residents have also been told to stay away from buildings, as aftershocks continued to shake the area. Local officials told state media there were reports of damage to buildings and part of the island’s road network.
