A deadly earthquake of magnitude 7.0 brought devastations across Greece and Turkey. Following which many areas saw instant flooding. Locals fear the triggering of a mini tsunami as the center of the earthquake was off the coast.
The 7.0 Richter scale tremor was centered at Turkey’s Izmir province, as per the US Geological Survey. As per BBC News, the earthquake killed around 20 people.
Additionally, more than 786 are injured, and 2,000 people were homeless overnight. The government of Turkey has been rescuing people from under the rubble. It also facilitated tent facilities to those rendered homeless. Locals fear that more buildings can collapse.
The death toll will increase as people remain fear trapped under the rubbles. 20 buildings have collapsed till now.
Strong Shaker
Both turkey and Greece lie on the fault lines of the tectonic plates. Hence, earthquakes are common in these regions. As soon as people felt the tremors, they ran out of their buildings and houses. Turkey’s third-largest city Izmir with nearly three million people, many people were seen running out into the streets in panic and fear after the quake struck.
“It was a really strong shaker almost enough to knock you off your feet. Running out of the house with my children was like a drunken wobble,” Chris Bedford, told a retired British teacher who lives in Urla, west of Izmir.
Flooding
There were reports of the city’s flooding, especially in Greece, as the sea level was at a disturbing level due to the earthquake. An official in Sigacik near Izmir told me that a person in a wheelchair drowned as strong waves hit and overturned him. A mini-tsunami flooded the port of Samos, damaging several buildings. Greek officials put the magnitude of the tremor at 6.7.
The damage was “quite extensive along the seafront” of the island’s main town, told Faried Atta, a Samos-based journalist.
Government response
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government would help those affected by the quake “with all the means available to our state.” Turkey and Greece’s governments have shown solidarity with each other. Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis offered “condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both countries.”
Turkey’s prime minister, too, offered condolences to Greece and its people. “Turkey, too, is always ready to help Greece heal its wounds. That two neighbors show solidarity in difficult times is more valuable than many things in life,” Turkey’s Prime Minister wrote in response.
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