Powerful quake jolts Turkey and Greece, killing at least 22

By Isil Sariyuce, Mostafa Salem and Angela Dewan (CNN)

Istanbul, Turkey

Officials said 20 people were killed in coastal areas in Turkey’s west, while two teenagers — a boy and a girl — died on the Greek island of Samos after a wall collapsed on them.

In Turkey, at least 20 buildings in the city of Izmir alone were destroyed, Mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk. Images showed vehicles crushed under the buildings and people digging through the rubble in search of survivors.

At least 786 people have been injured in Turkey, said the country’s disaster agency. Dozens were saved by rescue teams using diggers and helicopters to search for survivors.

A total of 196 aftershocks have been recorded, 23 of which were over 4.0 magnitude, the agency added. Search and rescue operations continue in 17 buildings, four of which have collapsed, said Murat Kurum, Turkey’s Environment and Urbanization Minister.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that among Turkey’s injured, five people are being operated on and eight are in intensive care

TV footage showed water flooding through the streets of Cesme and Seferihisar in parts of Turkey’s wider Izmir province, as well as on the Greek island of Samos, in what officials described as a “mini tsunami.” No tsunami warnings were issued.

Idil Gungor, who works as a journalist and runs a guesthouse in the Turkish town of Siğacik in Izmir province, said that the area was damaged more by the force of the water than the quake itself.

Her guesthouse, in a 100-year-old building, had been inundated and fish were swimming inside it, she said. Shops in town have also been flooded and their goods damaged.

“Everybody is calm but shocked and we’re wondering what will happen, if there’s a second tsunami coming or not,” Gungor said.

Zeki Soysal, also a resident in Izmir province, told CNN Turk that he made it out of his office building just before it collapsed.

“There was an older woman in the building but we saved her, she got out. There is another building close to this building. They are continuing to try to get the people out,” he said.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the tremor’s magnitude at 7.0, while Turkish authorities said it was 6.6. The quake struck 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) northeast of the town of Néon Karlovásion on Samos, the USGS reported, at 1:51 pm Greek time (7:51a.m. ET).

But it hit at a relatively shallow depth of 21 kilometers (13 miles), the USGS reported, making its impact powerfully felt at ground level around the epicenter.

Authorities in both countries have reported dozens of aftershocks. Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger called on residents to stay off the roads and refrain from using mobile phones unnecessarily so that emergency vehicles could reach affected areas and response teams could communicate effectively.

In Greece, Samos Deputy Mayor Giorgos Dionisiou told Greek media that some old buildings had collapsed on the island.

People have been told by Greek authorities to stay away from the shore and buildings, and to be on alert for high waves as aftershocks continue.

Greece, France reach out to Turkey

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Twitter he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart. Tensions between the two nations have flared recently over energy claims in the eastern Mediterranean.

“I just called President Erdogan to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both our countries. Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together,” Mitsotakis wrote.

CNN