At least six dead after earthquake and tsunami hit Turkey

A strong earthquake struck the Aegean Sea off the Turkish coast, collapsing buildings in the city of Imzir and leaving at least six people dead and dozens more injured.

A small tsunami also struck Izmir’s Seferisar district, said Haluk Ozener, director of the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute. At least four people were slightly injured in Samos, where a tsunami warning was issued.

Six people were killed in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, including one that drowned, and 202 were injured, according to Turkey’s Presidency of Emergency and Disaster Management, or AFAD.

Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger said at least 70 people had been rescued from the rubble. He said four buildings were destroyed and more than 10 collapsed, while others were also damaged.

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* Dozens of dead and more than 300 injured by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that shakes Turkey

Search and rescue efforts were continuing on at least 12 buildings, AFAD said.

Turkish media showed the remains of a multi-story building, and people climbed up to begin rescue efforts. Smoke rose from several points.

Videos on Twitter showed flooding in the Seferhisar district, and Turkish officials and announcers called on people to stay off the streets after reports of traffic congestion.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted that 38 ambulances, two ambulance helicopters and 35 medical rescue teams were working in the city of Izmir.

Turkey’s Presidency of Emergency and Disaster Management said the earthquake was focused on the Aegean at a depth of 16.5 km and was recorded at a magnitude of 6.6.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, with an epicenter 13 kilometers 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.

Environment and Urban Planning Minister Murat Kurum said people were trapped under the rubble and rescue efforts were underway.

Greek seismologist Akis Tselentis told Greek state broadcaster ERT that the earthquake was believed to be the main one, but that due to the shallow depth of its epicenter, about 10 km, potentially powerful aftershocks could be expected for several weeks, or even a month, to come.

He said residents of the affected areas should be careful not to enter buildings that could have been damaged by the initial earthquake, as they could collapse in a strong aftershock.

The earthquake was felt in the eastern Greek islands and even the Greek capital, Athens, and in Bulgaria. In Turkey, it was also 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.

On the Greek island of Samos, damage to buildings and the road network was reported, while a tsunami warning was issued, and residents 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.

The Greek minister responsible for civil protection and crisis management, Nikos Hardalias, was on his way to Samos, as were a search and rescue team, paramedics and engineers.