19 reported dead in western Turkey, over 400 injured as earthquake also rattles Greek island

The 7.0 magnitude quake in the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos toppled buildings in western Turkey.

SHARE 19 reported dead in western Turkey, over 400 injured as earthquake also rattles Greek island
Rescue workers and others try to save people trapped in the debris of a collapsed building, in Izmir, Turkey after a deadly earthquake Friday in the Aegean Sea rocked western Turkey and the Greek island of Samos. It was also felt in Athens and in Bulgaria.

Rescue workers and others try to save people trapped in the debris of a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey after a deadly earthquake Friday in the Aegean Sea rocked western Turkey and the Greek island of Samos. It was also felt in Athens and in Bulgaria.

Ismail Gokmen / AP

ISTANBUL— A strong earthquake struck Friday in the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, killing at least 19 people and injuring over 700 more amid collapsing buildings and flooding, authorities said.

A small tsunami touched off by the quake struck the Seferihisar district south of Izmir, the city in western Turkey that was the worst affected, said Haluk Ozener, director of the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute.

At least 17 people were killed, including one who drowned, in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, with a population of about 4.5 million, and 709 were known to have been injured, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, known as AFAD.

Among the dead were the wife and two children of the secretary-general of the Turkish Medical Association’s Izmir branch, the group said.

On Samos, where a tsunami warning was issued, two teenagers died after being struck by a wall that collapsed.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted condolences, saying: “Words are too poor to describe what one feels before the loss of children.”

At least 19 people were injured on the island, with two, including a 14-year-old, being airlifted to Athens and seven hospitalized, health authorities said.

The small tsunami that hit the Turkish coast also affected Samos, with seawater flooding streets in the main harbor town of Vathi. Authorities warned people to stay away from the coast and from potentially damaged buildings.

Izmir Gov. Yavuz Selim Kosger said at least 70 people were rescued from wrecked buildings, with four destroyed, more than 10 collapsed and others suffering less severe damage.

Search-and-rescue efforts were underway in at least 17 buildings, AFAD said.

The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.0.

Rescue workers and others try to save people trapped in the debris of a collapsed building, in Izmir, Turkey after a deadly earthquake Friday in the Aegean Sea rocked western Turkey and the Greek island of Samos. It was also felt in Athens and in Bulgaria.

Rescue workers and others try to save people trapped in the debris of a collapsed building, in Izmir, Turkey.

Ismail Gokmen / AP

Turkish news media showed wreckage of a multiple-story building, with people climbing it to pull people from the rubble.

Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer urged people to not enter damaged buildings and to be mindful of social distancing and mask mandates amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the help of nearby residents, rescue workers  carry a wounded person found in the debris of a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey, to safety after an earthquake Friday.

With the help of nearby residents, rescue workers carry a wounded person found in the debris of a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey, to safety after an earthquake Friday.

Ismail Gokmen / AP

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said Friday’s earthquake was centered in the Aegean at a depth of 10.3 miles — relatively shallow, “making its impact powerfully felt at ground level,” CNN reported.

With the help of neighboring residents, rescue workers carry a wounded person found in the debris of a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey, after Friday’s earthquake.

With the help of neighboring residents, rescue workers carry a wounded person found in the debris of a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey, after Friday’s earthquake.

Ismail Gokmen /AP

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the quake’s epicenter was eight miles north-northeast of Samos.

People stand outside their homes in Izmir, Turkey, on Friday after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea has shaken Turkey and Greece.

People stand outside their homes in Izmir, Turkey, on Friday after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea has shaken Turkey and Greece.

AP

The earthquake was felt across the eastern Greek islands and as far as Athens, the Greek capital, Athens, and in Bulgaria. In Turkey, it also was felt across the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul. Istanbul’s governor said there were no reports of damage in that city, Turkey’s largest.

Videos on Twitter showed flooding in the Seferihisar district, and Turkish officials and broadcasters called on people to stay off the streets because of traffic congestion.

Seawater covers floods a square after an earthquake at the port of Vathi on the eastern Aegean island of Samos, Greece, after an earthquake Friday.

Seawater covers floods a square after an earthquake at the port of Vathi on the eastern Aegean island of Samos, Greece, after an earthquake Friday.

Michael Svarnias / AP

On Samos, damage was reported in buildings and to roads, and a tsunami warning was issued, with people told to stay away from the coast. Water rose above the dock in the main harbor of Samos and flooded the street.

People also were warned to stay away from buildings, as aftershocks continued to rattle the area.

People stand outside their homes in Izmir, Turkey, Friday after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea shook Turkey and Greece.

People stand outside their homes in Izmir, Turkey, Friday after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea shook Turkey and Greece.

AP

Water rose above the dock in the main harbor of Samos and flooded the streets.

Greek seismologist Akis Tselentis told Greek state broadcaster ERT that, due to the shallow depth of its epicenter, potentially powerful aftershocks could be expected for weeks or even a month. He said residents of affected areas must be careful not to enter buildings that might have been damaged in the initial quake, as they could collapse in a strong aftershock.

People work on a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey on Friday after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea shook Turkey and Greece and also was felt in Bulgaria.

People work on a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey on Friday after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea shook Turkey and Greece and also was felt in Bulgaria.

DHA via AP

In a show of solidarity rare in recent months of tense relations, Greek and Turkish government officials issued messages of solidarity.

“We pray that there is no further loss of live in Turkey or Greece and we send our best wishes to all those affected on both sides of the earthquake,” Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun tweeted. “This tragedy reminds us once again how close we are despite our differences over policy. We’re ready to help if Greece needs it.”

Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister, tweeted that he had phoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both our countries. Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together.”

Relations between Turkey and Greece have been particularly tense of late, with warships facing off in the eastern Mediterranean in a dispute over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights. The ongoing tension has led to fears of open conflict between the two neighboring NATO allies.

Contributing: Amer Cohadzic

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