Deadly Earthquake Hits Greece And Turkey Triggering Tsunami

By :
PA

An earthquake has shaken the Greek island of Kos, killing at least two tourists and injuring around 200.

The 6.7-magnitude quake struck the popular holiday destination triggering a deadly tsunami just 6.2 miles below the Aegean seabed. The wave has caused major flooding of coastal resorts across the Aegean Sea.

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Dozens of aftershocks caused significant damage to buildings and trapped people inside the rubble, after the earthquake struck at 1.31am local time on Friday (10.31pm GMT Thursday) approximately 6.4 miles south of Bodrum, Turkey, and 10 miles east of the Greek island.

Authorities said the two fatalities on Kos were individuals from Turkey and Sweden. Some of those injured have suffered broken bones with a number in serious condition, according to Kos regional government official Giorgos Halkidios.

Rescuers have been working through the night to try and save people from the wreckage caused by the impact, which was felt as far away as Rhodes and Crete.

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British student, 22-year-old Naomi Ruddock, who was on holiday with her mother on Kos, said:

We were asleep and we just felt the room shaking. The room moved. Literally everything was moving and it kind of felt like you were on a boat and it was swaying really fast from side to side, you felt seasick.

As yet, there are no confirmed British causalities, a Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed, adding:

We are speaking to the Turkish and Greek authorities following an earthquake off the coast of Bodrum and near the island of Kos. Any British people in the areas affected should follow the instructions of local authorities.

The Turkish city of Marmaris has also been badly affected, with many beachfront resorts flooded and holidaymakers left stranded, bringing a disastrous end to their summer holidays.