A powerful earthquake has struck offshore of Turkey, registering 7.0 on the Richter scale, reportedly toppling buildings in Turkey and shaking the Greek capital of Athens.
The USGS issued a preliminary alert recording the quake as a 7.0 magnitude temblor, but Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said it was a 6.6 quake which struck along the Aegean coast.
The temblor struck shortly after 1:51pm local time near the Greek island of Samos, with the Mayor of eastern Samos claiming multiple buildings had collapsed.
Eyewitness footage from around the Adriatic shows crowds evacuating onto the streets as large dust clouds emanated from collapsed buildings in the distance.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu issued a Twitter statement about the earthquake, claiming that at least six buildings had collapsed in Izmir, with reports of loss of life streaming in from various other areas such as Uşak, Denizli, Manisa, Balikesir, Aydın and Muğla
“Until now, 6 building demolition notices have been received in İzmir Bornova and Bayraklı. Damage and loss of life reported in Uşak, Denizli, Manisa, Balikesir, Aydın and Muğla, our teams continue their screening and interventions in the field. Get well soon,” Soylu wrote.
According to local media reports, the earthquake lasted roughly 15 seconds, with shockwaves felt as far away as Istanbul and Athens.
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