Earthquake in Turkey: 17 Dead So Far, 709 People Injured, 196 Aftershocks Felt After Strong Quake Hits Izmir City
As per Turkish media, about 196 aftershocks were felt with 23 hitting over magnitude 4 following the strong Izmir earthquake. Several buildings in Turkey’s western Izmir province collapsed leaving people dead and injured.
Istanbul, October 31: As many as 17 people have been killed while nearly 709 people have been injured after a strong earthquake of magnitude of 7 on Richter Scale hit the hit Aegean Sea in Turkey on Friday. As per Turkish media, about 196 aftershocks were felt with 23 hitting over magnitude 4 following the strong Izmir earthquake. Several buildings in Turkey’s western Izmir province collapsed leaving people dead and injured. There were reports of people trapped beneath the rubble in Izmir. The quake struck the Aegean Sea off Turkey's western province of Izmir, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) tweeted.
The search and rescue operation underway in Izmir city. The strong quake caused massive loss of life and property, while some damage to buildings and the road network. Izmir city is the third biggest in Turkey with about 4.5 million residents. According to reports, Izmir mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk that over 20 buildings collapsed. Earthquake in Turkey: Strong Quake Damages Buildings in Izmir (Watch Videos).
Here's the tweet:
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. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey put the magnitude at 7.0. It is common for preliminary magnitudes to differ in the early hours and days after a quake.
On Friday, a strong earthquake jolted areas between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, collapsing several buildings in Izmir province and causing some damage in Samos. Reports inform that Turkish media said the earthquake was felt across the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul. Istanbul’s governor said there were no reports of damage in the city, Turkey's largest.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the WHO is closely monitoring the situation in Greece and Turkey, where powerful quakes struck earlier in the day, and stands ready to provide assistance, if necessary.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 31, 2020 08:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).