4 dead, 120 injured as earthquake of magnitude 7 hits Turkey’s Izmir, triggers mini-tsunami

A massive earthquake hit western Turkey on Friday resulting in the collapse of several buildings. Preliminary reports peg the epicentre of the earthquake in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece and Turkey at a depth of 16.5 kilometers, 13 kilometres north northeast of the Greek island of Samos.

There are conflicting reports on the severity of the earthquake that hit the coastal province of Izmir in western Turkey. News agency CNN quotes United States Geological Survey to put the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.0 on the Richter scale while the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency puts it at 6.6.

The earthquake brought down six buildings in western Izmir province, Associated Press quoted Turkey’s interior minister Suleyman Soylu as saying.

Located on Turkey’s Aegean coast, Izmir is the country’s third-largest city. Damage to buildings has also been reported from the Turkish cities of Bornova and Bayrakli.

Turkish officials also said the earthquake was felt across the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul. Governor of Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya, however, has denied any reports of damage for now.

Tremors were also felt in the Greek capital of Athens, reports suggest.

The “Greece quake” also caused a mini-tsunami on Samos resulting in damage to buildings, reported news agency AFP. Samos is home to about 45,000 people who have been asked to stay home.

No loss of life has been reported as of yet either from Turkey or Greece. Both countries, however, reported aftershocks.

More details are awaited as this is a developing story.