Earthquake of 7.0 magnitude strikes Turkey & Greece, many killed; Tsunami alert issued

Oct. 30: A strong earthquake struck the Aegean Sea on Friday and was felt in both Greece and Turkey, where many buildings collapsed in the coastal province of Izmir. Many people were trapped in rubble. At least four people were killed and 120 others injured when the quake of magnitude 7.0 struck the Aegean Sea. The number of deaths are likely to increase. Ismail Yetiskin, mayor of Izmir`s Seferihisar, said sea levels rose as a result of the quake.

Residents of the Greek island of Samos, which has 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,” said Lekkas. People crowded onto the streets in Izmir city, witnesses said, after the quake struck with a magnitude of up to 7.0. The tremor could be felt as far away as in Istanbul and on Greek islands, where officials said some people were panicking although there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Greece and Turkey are both situated in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones. In 1999, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey’s northwest, killing more than 17,000 people, including 1,000 in Istanbul.