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Powerful earthquake strikes Turkish coast and Greek Islands
Athens: A powerful earthquake has shaken the Greek resort island of Kos, killing two tourists, injuring more than 120 and damaging historic buildings and the main port .
Greek authorities have confirmed the tourists were from Turkey and Sweden.
A man lies on the ground as other tourists stand outside a bar after an earthquake on the Greek island of Kos early on Friday.
Fire Service rescue chief Stephanos Kolokouris told state television they died when a wall collapsed onto a bar in the Old Town of the island's main port.
The 6.5-magnitude quake struck about 1.30am (local time) on Friday rattling other islands and Turkey's Aegean coast as well, but Kos, nearest to the epicentre, appears to be the worst-hit where the two deaths and injuries have been reported.
A cafe setting is littered with rubble following a strong earthquake on the Greek island of Kos early on Friday.Credit: AP
Fallen bricks and debris are coating the streets and the island's seafront road and main town were flooded by a small tsunami.
Kos regional governor Giorgos Hadjimarkos said four or five of those injured were "worrying" and damaged buildings are being inspected, but he said the main priority now is saving lives. Kos' hospital says at least 20 of the injured had broken bones.
When the quake hit a wall of a 1930s-built building collapsed crushing people who were in the downstairs bar, Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis said.
"There are not many old buildings left on Kos. Nearly all the structures on the island have been built under the new codes to withstand earthquakes," the mayor said.
THe shallow quake hit off the coast of Turkey on Friday morning.Credit: USGS
Broken stone is littering Kos' "old town" area which is full of bars and other night-time entertainment.
Hundreds of tourists were forced to spend the rest of the night outside on beach lounges after their hotel windows were smashed as well as other structural damage.
"The instant reaction was to get ourselves out of the room," Christopher Hackland of Edinburgh, who works as a scuba instructor on Kos, said.
"There was banging. There was shaking. The light was swinging, banging on the ceiling, crockery falling out of the cupboards, and pans ...
"There was a lot of screaming and crying and hysterics coming from the hotel," he said, referring to the hotel next to his apartment building.
"It felt like being at a theme park with one of the illusions, an optical illusion where you feel like you're upside down."
Authorities had warned of a localised tsunami, and witnesses described a "swelling" of the sea after the earthquake. A seafront road and parts of the island's main town were flooded, and the rising seawater even pushed a boat onto the main road and caused several cars to slam into each other. Ferry service was cancelled until daylight because the main port was damaged, and at least one ferry en route to the port was unable to dock.
Other buildings damaged included an old mosque where a minaret collapsed and a 14th-century fortress at the entrance to the main port. Minor damage – cracks in buildings, smashed windows and trashed shops – appeared widespread.
Rescuers were checking for trapped people inside houses after the quake struck in the middle of the night and were heading to outlying villages to check for damage.
Greek officials said the quake was 6.5-magnitude and the numerous aftershocks were weaker but still could put at risk the buildings that were already damaged.
The epicentre was 10 kilometres south of Bodrum, Turkey, and 16 kilometres east-northeast of Kos with a depth of 10 kilometres.
Turkey is prone to earthquakes because it is located between the Arabian plate and Eurasian plate.
Reuters