Greece and Turkey rocked by 7.0 magnitude earthquake

A strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea has shaken Turkey and Greece, toppling at least six buildings in Turkey. The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude was 7.0.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said Friday’s earthquake was centered in the Aegean at a depth of 10.3 miles and registered at a 6.6 magnitude. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, with an epicenter 13 kilometers north northeast of the Greek island of Samos.

People stand outside their homes in Izmir, Turkey, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, after a strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea has shaken Turkey and Greece.

Ismail Gokmen / AP

Turkish media showed wreckage of a multiple-story building in central Izmir, with people climbing it to reach rescuers. Smoke was filmed in several spots in central Izmir. The governor said there was no immediate information on casualties. Turkish media said the earthquake was felt across the regions of Aegean and Marmara, where Istanbul is located. Istanbul’s governor said there were no reports of damage. The quake was felt across the eastern Greek islands and even in the Greek capita,l Athens. Greek media said the residents of Samos and other islands fled their homes, while some rockfalls were reported.

“The walls of some houses have crumbled and several buildings are damaged,” the deputy mayor of Samos, Michalis Mitsios, was quoted as saying by public broadcaster ERT.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

“A tsunami cannot be ruled out,” said Greek seismologist Efthymis Lekkas, according to the AFP. Both countries reported aftershocks.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, with an epicenter 13 kilometers north northeast of the Greek island of Samos.

USGS