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(CNN) – At least eight people were killed in Turkey and Greece after a powerful earthquake struck the Aegean Sea on Friday afternoon, toppled buildings and triggered what authorities have called a “mini tsunami.”
Authorities said six people died in coastal areas in western Turkey, while two teenagers died on the Greek island of Samos after a wall collapsed on them.
In Turkey, at least 20 buildings in the city of Izmir were destroyed, Mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk. The images showed vehicles crushed under buildings and people digging through the rubble in search of survivors.
More than 250 people were injured in Turkey, the country’s disaster agency said, dozens of them saved by rescue teams using bulldozers and helicopters to search for survivors.
Television footage showed water flooding the streets of Cesme and Seferihisarin in parts of Turkey’s wider Izmir province, as well as the Greek island of Samos, in what authorities call a “mini tsunami.” No tsunami warnings were issued.
Idil Gungor, who works as a journalist and runs a guest house in the Turkish city of Siğacik in Izmir province, said the area was damaged more by the force of the water than by the earthquake itself.
His guesthouse, in a 100-year-old building, had flooded and fish were swimming inside, he said. Shops in the city have also been flooded and their goods have been damaged.
“Everybody is calm but shocked and we wonder what will happen, if a second tsunami is coming or not,” Gungor said.
Zeki Soysal, also a resident of Izmir province, told CNN Turk that he managed to get out of his office building just in time before it collapsed.
“There was an older woman in the building, but we saved her, she came out. There is another building near this building. They keep trying to get people out,” he said.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.0, while Turkish authorities said it was 6.6. The quake struck 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) northeast of the town of Néon Karlovásion on Samos, the USGS reported, at 1:51 p.m. Greek time (7:51 a.m. ET).
But it struck at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS reported, causing its impact to be felt powerfully at ground level around the epicenter.
Authorities in both countries have reported dozens of aftershocks. Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger called on residents to stay off roads and refrain from using cell phones unnecessarily so that emergency vehicles can reach affected areas and response teams can communicate effectively. .
In Greece, the deputy mayor of Samos, Giorgos Dionisiou, told Greek media that some old buildings had collapsed on the island.
Greek authorities have told people to stay away from the shoreline and buildings, and to be alert for high waves as aftershocks continue.
Greece and France move closer to Turkey
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Twitter that he had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Tensions between the two nations have recently been triggered by energy claims in the eastern Mediterranean.
“I just called President @RTErdogan to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life caused by the earthquake that shook our two countries. Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to be united,” Mitsotakis wrote .
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Twitter that his country had offered to send aid to Turkey and Greece.
“France stands alongside the Turkish and Greek peoples in facing this ordeal,” Darmanin said.
“If the governments of these countries so wish, French aid can be sent immediately to the scene.”
The leaders of France and Turkey have exchanged criticism about freedom of expression and Islamist extremism, following the murder of a Paris teacher who had shown his students cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Charlie Hebdo magazine.
Erdogan has not publicly responded to any of the tweets. He previously tweeted: “Get well soon Izmir” after the earthquake.
“With all the means of our state, we support our citizens affected by the earthquake. We take steps to begin the necessary work in the region with all our relevant institutions and ministers,” Erdogan wrote.
The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, tweeted: “My thoughts go out to all the Greek and Turkish peoples affected by the strong earthquake that hit the Aegean Sea.
“Together with the other EU institutions, we are closely monitoring the situation. The EU stands ready to help.”
This story was first published on CNN.com, “A powerful earthquake shakes Turkey and Greece, killing at least eight.”
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