Izmir (Turkey): The largest 7.0 magnitude earthquake occured in the Aegean Sea at 11.51 am local time (17.21 IST), on Friday, causing damage to buildings and also a mini tsunami which slammed into coastal areas and islands in Greece and Turkey. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said preliminary reports suggested 12 people died, including one who died due to drowning. Country’s Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum put the figures of those who got injured at 522. On the Greek island of Samos two teenagers, a boy and a girl were found dead in an area where a wall had collapsed.
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The quake had its epicentre 14 km from Néon Karlovásion, North Aegean, at 21 km depth. Four aftershocks respectively of 4.9, 5.2 and 4.3 magnitude, all at the depth of 10 kms, rattled life there. The first two aftershocks were reported at 1.00 pm (6.30 pm IST) about 12 kms from Kokkári in North Aegean, and at 3.14 pm (8.44 pm IST), 8 kms from Kokkári. The third aftershock of 4.3 magnitude had its epicentre at 9 km from Sámos, at 5.16 pm (10.46 pm IST).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is closely following the unfolding situation in Greece and Turkey after the earthquake. “WHO is closely following the unfolding situation in Greece and Turkey after the earthquake today. We will work with the two countries to ensure that emergency medical care is provided to those in need. Our thoughts are with all those affected,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told journalists in Geneva.
– globalbihari bureau
