Earthquake shakes buildings in Greece, Turkey

A strong earthquake shook Greece and Turkey on Friday, knocking down buildings and flooding roads in the Turkish resort town of Izmir.

 

Greek state television said the quake triggered a tsunami in the eastern Aegean island of Samos, damaging buildings.

 

The US Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.0 the earthquake was recorded’ 14 kilometers (8.6 miles) from the Greek city of Karlovasi in Samos.

 

The epicenter was reported’ below the epicenter, however; no tsunami alert was’ issued. The epicenter was reported’ below the epicenter, however; no tsunami alert was’ issued.

 

Images of Izmir showed collapsed buildings, and dizzy people tried to make their way through the rubble.

 

"So far we have received reports of six collapsed buildings in Izmir province, which is disturbing the city," Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter.

 

"Some of our colleagues are trapped in the rubble," said Environment Minister Murat Kurum, adding that he was aware of five collapsed buildings.

 

The city's mayor, Tunc Soyer, told CNN Turk that he had information that 20 buildings had collapsed.

 

Photos on social media show the possibility of a water wave running through the streets of Izmir.

 

White smoke billowed from various parts of the city where buildings collapsed.

 

Aerial footage on Turkish NTV television shows all blocks of the city reduced to rubble.

 

TRT television showed residents and police using chains to help rescue workers as they tried to force their way into the rubble of a seven-story building.

 

Rescue workers called for silence for any survivors, clearing rocks and other debris in the human chain.

 

CNN Turk reports that a woman has been rescued’ alive.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted that he was "ready to help our state with all available means".

 

- 'It was chaos.'

 

On the Greek island of Samos, near the epicenter of the quake, people took to the streets in panic.

 

Public broadcaster ERT as saying that “some houses have collapsed and several buildings have been damaged” quoted the island’s deputy mayor, Michael Matthias.

 

"It was a chaos," added Deputy Mayor Giorgos Dionysiou. "We've never experienced that before."

 

In a text message, the Greek Civil Protection Agency told Samos residents to "stay outdoors and away from buildings."

 

The island's airport was also closed’ as a precaution.

 

Both Greece and Turkey are among the most active seismic regions in the world.

 

In 1999, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck northwestern Turkey, killing more than 17,000 people, including 1,000 in Istanbul.

 

Another earthquake in the southeastern province Van in 2011 killed more than 600 people.

 

In Greece, the last deadly earthquake in July 2017 killed two people on the island of Kos near Samos.

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