The death toll in the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck near the city of Izmir in western Turkey on Friday has risen to 24 while 804 people have been injured.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 16.5km in the Aegean Sea, but tremors were felt as far away as Istanbul. The earthquake was also felt in the eastern islands of Greece and even Athens.
Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported, "Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 435 people were currently receiving treatment, while 25 were in intensive care and nine were undergoing surgeries. He also said 364 were discharged from hospitals, having completed treatment and that medical and rescue teams continued to work in Izmir to 'alleviate the pain'."
Anadolu Agency reported, "296 aftershocks, with 27 more powerful than magnitude 4.0, were recorded" after the earthquake struck around 3pm (local time) on Friday.
"Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger said the quake triggered a partial tsunami in the coastal district of Seferihisar, which left at least one person injured. More than 475 vehicles and nearly 4,000 rescue workers, along with 20 sniffer dogs, were dispatched to the scene. The Coast Guard Command is participating with 116 personnel, 11 boats, three helicopters and one diving team. The Turkish Red Crescent sent 112 staffers, 137 volunteers, 27 vehicles and five mobile field kitchens with a capacity to serve more than 25,000 people," Anadolu Agency reported.
Earthquake risk
The Aegean Sea region experiences earthquakes, but most occur at sea.
Turkey is at high risk of earthquakes as it is situated on several fault-lines, including the Northern Anatolia Fault, where the Anatolian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
"It [Turkey] has suffered devastating earthquakes in the past, including the 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Gölcük in 1999. It killed more than 17,000 people in the greater region. The last major earthquake was in January, with a magnitude of 6.7. It killed 41 people in the eastern provinces of Elazığ and Malatya and injured 1,607 others," Daily Sabah reported.
