On Friday afternoon a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea triggering a "mini tsunami" and killing at least 27 people and injuring over 800 in Turkey and Greece. Authorities say that 25 people were killed in coastal areas in Turkey's west, while two teenagers died on the Samos, Greece after a wall collapsed on them.
Rescue operations are underway in Izmir, Turkey in the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors. Rescue teams worked through the night and managed to save around 100 survivors from under the rubble of 8 buildings. Operations continue in nine other locations. Authorities in Izmir have set up a tent area to house about 2,000 people overnight, amid fears that more buildings could collapse.
Nearly 4,000 rescue workers, 475 vehicles and 20 sniffer dogs have been deployed according to Turkish authorities. But their work has been hampered by around 470 aftershocks were recorded, 35 of which were over 4.0 magnitude. The quake which was felt as far as Athens and Istanbul struck at a depth of 21km.
The diplomatic relationship between Greece and Turkey has been strained due to disagreements relating to the control of territorial waters in Meditteranean. The two leaders expressed solidarity with each other in the face of the natural disaster.
Written by Anushree Appandairajan
Artwork by Sophia Patterson
