Landslides and people trapped in the rubble are reported when rescue operations have begun.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 shook the coast of Turkey and the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea, reports the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center (CSEM). The source of the earthquake was located 10 kilometers deep in the Dodecanese archipelago.
The earthquake, which occurred at approximately 08:00 local time, this Friday, extended its effects from Istanbul to Athens and other nearby cities. Since then, at least 16 aftershocks have been reported in the next two hours.
Turkey’s Minister of the Environment and Urban Planning, Fatih Kurum, declared that the phenomenon caused considerable material damage in various localities; as well as that there are people trapped under the rubble in the city of Smyrna, in whose rescue they are working.
For its part, the United States Geological Survey (USGS, for its acronym in English) calculated that the earthquake reached a magnitude of 7.0 and located its epicenter about 14 kilometers from the town of Néon Karlovásion, in Greece.
In some videos shared on social networks, a cloud of dust is observed between the buildings shortly after the earthquake. Likewise, collapsing buildings and what were described as “minitsunamis” can be seen on the Greek island of Samos and at various points off the Turkish coast.
Turkish authorities reported that the earthquake was felt most intensely in Izmir province, where at least 20 buildings have collapsed. People trapped in the rubble of at least six landslides are reported, with rescue operations in process.
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