Earthquake rocks Greece and Turkey: Two dead on Kos as tourists flee amid tsunami
At least two tourists have been killed and around 200 others injured after a powerful earthquake shook the Greek Islands and Turkish coast, triggering a small tsunami.
The 6.7-magnitude quake struck in the Aegean Sea on Thursday night south of the Turkish city of Bodrum and east of the small Greek island of Kos – both areas popular with British holidaymakers.
Two male tourists – a 27-year-old from Sweden and a 39-year-old from Turkey – were killed after being crushed under a collapsed ceiling at a bar in the Old Town of the main port on Kos. Other holidaymakers were injured when they lept to safety from balconies of other buildings.
The earthquake triggered a small tsunami that caused flooding in Bodrum and parts of Kos, which took the brunt of the impact with significant damage to buildings.
Tourists had to flee their hotel rooms when the quake hit at around 1.30am local time on Friday (10.31pm GMT Thursday) and experienced more than 20 aftershocks throughout the night.
The effects of the quake were felt by people miles away from the epicentre. Many ran from their homes or holiday apartments with pillows and blankets.
Tens of thousands of tourists spent the night outdoors on Kos, many sleeping on sunbeds along beaches and in squares.
More than 120 others were injured on Kos. In Bodrum, around 70 people sought hospital treatment for injuries as they tried to flee the quake.
Some of the injured on Kos had been trapped when buildings collapsed. Many suffered broken bones, with a number in a serious condition.
Kos regional government official Giorgos Halkidios added that the army is supporting the emergency services with the rescue operation.
Among those who felt the earthquake on Kos was British student Naomi Ruddock, who is on holiday with her mother. “We were asleep and we just felt the room shaking,” she said. “The room moved. Literally everything was moving. “And it kind of felt like you were on a boat and it was swaying really fast from side to side, you felt seasick.”
Shallow quake was only 6.2 miles below seabed
Credit: US Geological Survey
The quake, which was felt across the Aegean coast, was very shallow – only 6.2 miles below the seabed, the US Geological Survey said.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/20/large-earthquake-reported-turkish-coast-greek-island-kos/