Turkey-Greece earthquake: 14 dead over 400 injured, tsunami alert on

Greece : At least 14 people were reported dead and more than 400 people were injured after a strong tremor struck the Aegean Sea on Friday, rattling major part of Greece and Turkey. Buildings collapsed and high tides were seen in the coastal regions.

The people were seen running towards streets, in open spaces after a tremor of magnitude 7.0 struck around 1150 GMT.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said six people died, one due to drowning, while 202 people were injured.

The media reports claimed of many people stuck in debris of several collapsed buildings. Izmir mayor Tunc Soyer said around 20 buildings came down in the province. Izmir`s governor said 70 people had been rescued from under the rubble.

Crisscrossed by major fault lines, Turkey is among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. More than 17,000 people were killed in August 1999 when a 7.6 magnitude quake struck Izmit, a city southeast of Istanbul. In 2011, a quake in the eastern city of Van killed more than 500.

AFAD put the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.6, while the US Geological Survey said it was 7.0. It was felt along Turkey’s Aegean coast and the northwestern Marmara region, media said.