At least two people have been killed and more than a hundred injured after a powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck in the Mediterranean Sea early on Friday morning.
The quake struck at 1.31am local time, was located off the coastal city of Bodrum in southwest Turkey and close to the Greek island of Kos, triggering a mini tsunami which caused flooding in some areas.
The tsunami wave was large enough to reach some hotels located along the Aegean coastline, with Bodrum and Marmaris worst affected.
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The Mail Online reports:
The epicentre of the magnitude-6.7 quake was off Bodrum, southwest Turkey, with the country’s Aegean coast and Greek holiday islands including Kos and Rhodes worst affected. Tens of thousands of tourists who were forced to sleep outdoors have now been warned of possible aftershocks.
Holidaymakers fled hotels in terror and some even jumped from balconies as the quake hit before running for their lives to higher ground as tsunami waves surged through beachfront resorts moments later, flooding bars and restaurants, carrying away cars and depositing boats in town streets.
On the island of Kos, where a state of emergency has been declared, two male tourists – a 22-year-old from Sweden and a 39-year-old from Turkey – were killed after being crushed under a collapsed ceiling at the White Corner Club bar. Another man from Sweden has lost both of his legs, police said.
Parts of a historic mosque in Kos Town also came crashing down into the street and rescuers were this morning sifting through rubble looking for trapped survivors. Some 8,000 Britons are believed to be staying on the island, which was also badly affected by the tsunami.
In Turkey, at least 70 people were admitted to hospitals in Bodrum. Video taken when the quake hit showed staff and patients at Bodrum State Hospital cowering for cover, while the devastation caused a large electrical fire to break out in the city after a power pylon came crashing to the ground.
Tourists were forced to flee their rooms when the quake hit at 1.31am local time (11.31pm BST). They gathered anxiously in the street, and faced a sleepless night by the roadside or on beaches after they were warned not to re-enter damaged hotels.
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Niamh Harris