A strong earthquake struck on Friday in the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, collapsing buildings in the city of Izmir in western Turkey, and officials said at least six people were killed and scores were injured. The epicentre was about 11 miles (17 km) off İzmir province and eight miles north-east of the Greek island of Samos, at a relatively shallow depth of about 10 miles.
A small tsunami struck the Seferihisar district of Izmir, said Haluk Opener, director of the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute. At least four people were slightly injured on Samos, where a tsunami warning was issued. Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Kosher said at least 70 people had been rescued from the wreckage. He said four buildings were destroyed and more than 10 collapsed, while others were also damaged. At least six people have been killed and 257 injured after a powerful earthquake in the Aegean Sea toppled buildings in the Turkish city of İzmir and created sea surges on at least two Greek islands.
Turkey’s disaster and emergency authority (Afad) said six people had died when the quake, measuring about 7.0 in magnitude, struck at 2.51pm local time (11.51am GMT) on Friday. One of the dead had drowned, the authority said.
The death toll is expected to rise, with the mayor of İzmir telling television channel CNN Turk that at least 20 buildings had collapsed in the city, which is home to 4.5 million people and serves as a gateway to several holiday hotspots.
