A powerful earthquake that struck Turkey's Aegean coast and the northern part of the Greek island of Samos has killed at least 27 people and injured more than 800, with rescue teams continuing to dig through concrete blocks and building ruins this morning in search of survivors.
An earthquake shook yesterday afternoon, collapsing buildings in Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, and causing small tsunamis in the Seferihsar neighborhood and on the island of Samos. The main shock was followed by hundreds of aftershocks.
Early this morning, onlookers shouted with joy when rescuers pulled a teenage girl from the collapsed eight-story apartment building. Friends and relatives stood outside the building to hear news of their loved ones still trapped in the rubble, including employees of the dental clinic on the ground floor.
Two more women were rescued from the collapsed two-story building.
At least 24 people died in Izmir, including an elderly woman who drowned, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry's Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).
Two teenagers were killed in Samos when a wall collapsed on them. At least 14 people were injured on the island, and two, including a 14-year-old, were flown to Athens, while seven were hospitalized on the island itself.
The small tsunami that hit the Turkish coast also hit Samos where seawater flooded streets in the main port city of Vathy. Authorities warned citizens to stay away from the coast and damaged buildings.
According to Istanbul's Kandili Institute, the magnitude 6,9 earthquake had its epicenter in the Aegean Sea northeast of Samos. AFAD stated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6,6 and was at a depth of about 16 kilometers.
It was felt throughout the eastern Greek islands and even as far as Athens, as well as Bulgaria. In Turkey, it hit the Aegean and Marmara regions including Istanbul. The governor of Istanbul said there was no damage reported in that city.
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