TIL Desk/World/Athens/Ankara/ Greece and Turkey have pledged mutual aid after a massive earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richer scale jolted the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, killing 22 people and injuring over 790 others. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said Friday’s earthquake, which was centred off Turkey’s Izmir province, triggered a mini-tsunami that flooded Izmir and Samos.
Seismologists monitoring seismic activity in the affected area have advised people to stay away from damaged buildings, Numerous aftershocks have been recorded so far, with the strongest measuring 5 on the Richter scale, according to a report. The 6.7-magnitude quake was which was felt as far away as Athens and Istanbul and aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.2 are expected to follow, Akis Tselentis, director of the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, told.
Of the 22 victims, 20 were reported in Izmir and two in Samos, who were high school student. At least 786 were injured in Izmir and eight others on Samos. The quake damaged buildings, mainly old constructions, and parts of Samos’ road network, and material damages have also been reported on the nearby islands of Chios and Ikaria.
