Izmir (Turkey): At least 26 people were killed and 800 injured when a powerful earthquake struck the coastal province of Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, and triggering a small tsunami in the district of Seferihisar and on Samos on Friday. The quake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks.
The earthquake, which the Kandilli Institute said had a magnitude of 6.9, struck at 2:51 p.m. (1151 GMT) in Turkey and was centred in the Aegean northeast of Samos. AFAD said it measured 6.6.
The scale of the destruction captured on camera showed entire building blocks being reduced to rubble, water gushing through the streets in coastal towns after a Tsunami alert, and people running out of buildings in sheer panic.
Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk about 20 buildings collapsed. The city is the third-largest in Turkey with about 4,5 million residents. Turkey’s interior minister tweeted six buildings in Izmir were destroyed.
It was felt across the eastern Greek islands and as far as Athens and in Bulgaria. In Turkey, it shook the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul. Istanbul’s governor said there were no reports of damage in the city, Turkey’s largest.
Authorities warned residents in Izmir not to return to damaged buildings, saying they could collapse in strong aftershocks.
More than 3,000 rescue personnel were sent to Izmir, as well as relief supplies. The Turkish Red Crescent set up kitchens.
Comments are closed.