NewsWorld

Powerful earthquake jolts Greece, Turkey

SUKUMAR Roy

Ebangla Bureau

Buildings were also destroyed on the Greek island of Samos; the country's public broadcaster said the quake caused a mini-tsunami in the area.

GREECE AND Turkey have launched rescue and relief operations on a war footing after a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea causing a”mini tsunami on October 29. A total of 196 aftershocks have been recorded, 23 of which were over 4.0 magnitude, the agency added. Search and rescue operations continue in 17 buildings, four of which have collapsed, said Murat Kurum, Turkey’s Environment and Urbanization Minister.Officially  as of now,  24 people were killed in coastal areas in Turkey’s west, while two teenagers  died on the Greek island of Samos after a wall collapsed on them. In Turkey,  20 buildings in the city of Izmir alone were destroyed, Mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk. Images showed vehicles crushed under the buildings and people digging through the rubble in search of survivors. Besides,  804 people have been injured in Turkey, said the country’s disaster agency. Dozens were saved by rescue teams using diggers and helicopters to search for survivors. But it hit at a relatively shallow depth of 21 kilometers (13 miles), the USGS reported, making its impact powerfully felt at ground level around the epicentre. Authorities in both countries have reported dozens of aftershocks. Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger called on residents to stay off the roads and refrain from using mobile phones unnecessarily so that emergency vehicles could reach affected areas and response teams could communicate effectively. In Greece, Samos Deputy Mayor Giorgos Dionisiou told Greek media that some old buildings had collapsed on the island. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Twitter he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart. “I just called President @RTErdogan to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both our countries. Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together,” Mitsotakis wrote. In a tweet, the Turkish president offered his condolences to Greece and said “that two neighbors show solidarity in difficult times is more valuable than many things in life.””Turkey, too, is always ready to help Greece heal its wounds,” Erdogan added

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