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At least 20 people were killed and about 800 injured when a magnitude 7 earthquake off the coast of Turkey collapsed many high-rise buildings in the country’s Izmir city.
The above information has just been confirmed by Turkey’s disaster rescue agency. The earthquake also shook parts of Greece, killing 2 teenagers on Samos on their way home.
Most of the damage in Turkey occurred in and around Izmir, a city of 3 million people with many high-rise apartment buildings.
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| Ảnh: Reuters / Tuncay Derslioglu |
The ruined image of the city center was posted on social media by many people, showing the victims trying to escape. In some places there is smoke rising into the sky.
Rescuers and searchers are working urgently through the night, rushing to dig large blocks of concrete, even with their bare hands, in a desperate attempt to find the victims. It is unclear how many people are still trapped in the rubble.
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| A scene of mourning ruins in Turkey after the earthquake and tsunami |
Speaking to CNN, Mayor Izmir Tunc Soyer said that some 20 buildings in the area collapsed and at least 70 people have just been rescued.
The earthquake also triggered a small tsunami on the island of Samos and seawater flooded the city, turning many cities into rivers in the western coastal city of Turkey.
The water rose to many streets in the town of Seferihisa in the city of Izmir. Source: Twitter / DailySabah
According to Turkey’s Emergency and Disaster Management Agency (AFAD), the earthquake lasted for about 20 seconds with an epicenter 16 km deep, in the offshore area more than 17 km from Izmir province. In the area along the Aegean coast and the Marmara region in northwestern Turkey, a tremor can also be felt.
Turkey and Greece have pledged to assist each other in rescue and recovery efforts.
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| Photo: AP / Reuters |
Located in an area with major interlocking faults, Turkey is on the list of countries suffering the most earthquakes in the world. In August 1999, more than 17,000 people died when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Izmit. In 2011, an earthquake in the eastern city of Van claimed the lives of more than 500 people.
Thanh hao
Severe earthquakes shook Greece and Turkey
A magnitude 7 earthquake has just hit Greece and Turkey, causing heavy losses for both countries.
