Turkey earthquake: fatalities rise after 7.0-magnitude tremor ravages coastal town

At least 17 buildings destroyed as rescue operation under way

What we know so far

• Magnitude 7 earthquake struck Turkey's Aegean coast at 11.51 GMT
• Initial quake had depth of 5km and 97 aftershocks have been confirmed
• Mini-tsunami triggered by ferocity of tremors
• At least six killed and 607 injured
• Dozens thought to be trapped under collapsed buildings in Turkey's third largest city, Izmir
• 17 buildings confirmed destroyed as rescue operation under way
• Heavy flooding in Izmir also wreaked havoc
• Israel Defence Forces preparing to send aid to Turkey

Fatalities and injuries are mounting after Turkey's Aegean coast was struck by a series of strong earthquakes on Friday, with residents of the area posting images of extensive damage from tremors that were felt as far away as Istanbul.

The Turkish emergency management body, AFAD, revealed that at least six people had died and607 injured people were injured.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said the magnitude 7 earthquake struck Greece's Dodecanese Islands near the Turkish at 11.51 GMT, followed by at least five weaker tremors in the area in the space of less than an hour.

The initial quake had a depth of 5km, EMSC said. Such was its ferocity that it triggered a mini-tsunami.

The brunt of earthquake was borne in the Turkish coastal town of Izmir, the third largest city in the country. AFAD has confirmed that 17 buildings have been destroyed and, with dozens of people trapped under rubble, rescue operations are under way.

Izmir's Governor Mustafa Toprak said earlier on Friday that 70 people had been rescued to date and that emergency services were at the site of every collapsed building.

Extreme Earthquake

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the initial earthquake was about 10 kilometres north of the Greek island of Samos. The USGS also rated the initial earthquake at magnitude 7, while Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency put it at 6.6.

This is the 7th felt #earthquake in Dodecanese Islands, Greece in the last 37 minutes https://t.co/wPtMW5ND1t

— EMSC (@LastQuake) October 30, 2020

Videos shared by the EMSC on its Twitter account show the damage caused by the quake in Izmir.

Tsunami in coastal Turkey: https://t.co/t4LOk1j0bG

— Callan Bentley (@callanbentley) October 30, 2020

Izmir wasn't alone in being affected. There were also reports of lesser damage in surrounding provinces, including Usak, Denizli, Manisa, Balikesir, Aydin and Mugla, Turkey's Daily Sabah newspaper quoted Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu as saying.

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

Ali Yerlikaya, the governor of Istanbul, said the quake was also felt there but there were no negative reports.

Residents of Samos, an island with a population of about 45,000, were urged to stay away from coastal areas, Eftyhmios Lekkas, head of Greece's organisation for anti-seismic planning, told Greece's Skai TV.

"It was a very big earthquake, it's difficult to have a bigger one," he said.

This gallery depicts some of the carnage the quake has caused.

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Volunteers search for survivors at a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake struck Turkey's western coast and parts of Greece, in Izmir. AFP