6.7 magnitude earthquake kills two, injures 120 near Greece

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.7 killed two people and injured scores more when it struck near major Turkish and Greek tourist destinations in the Aegean Sea early on Friday, Turkish and Greek officials said.

Local officials said at least two people died and 120 were injured on the Greek holiday island of Kos, a popular destination particularly with British holidaymakers.

Across a narrow Aegean Sea waterway in Turkey's Bodrum, around 70 people were admitted to hospital, injured in their attempts to flee the overnight temblor which struck at 1.31am local time (2230 GMT Thursday).

The tremor is the second in the broader region exceeding a magnitude of 6.0 this year, a level which can cause considerable damage.

A local hospital official said 100 people were injured, most slightly.

Greek authorities had dispatched helicopters to airlift the injured to the larger island of Rhodes for treatment, Yiorgos Hadjimarkou, the head of the South Aegean region said.

"Our primary concern right now is (safeguarding) human life," he told Greek state broadcaster ERT.

Police sources said the roof of a bar in Kos collapsed.

The Greek coastguard said damage was reported to the port of Kos, which is near a tourist strip of cafes and bars. A passenger ferry was unable to dock because of extensive damage.

The European quake agency EMSC said a small tsunami could be caused by the quake, but Turkish broadcasters cited officials saying large waves were more likely.

Several stores were damaged in Bodrum's Gumbet district as a result of rising sea levels, store owners told broadcaster NTV.

A local Kos website, Kostoday.com, showed images of rising sea levels and parts of the tourist strip flooded, and large chunks of rubble elsewhere. One showed the picture of a small fishing boat on a road.

The temblor, initially reported as a magnitude 6.9, was very shallow, only 6.2 miles (10 km) below the seabed, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Turkish and Greek authorities put its magnitude lower at 6.3 and 6.4. Local authorities said the quake was felt across the Aegean coast.

In Turkey, emergency authorities warned citizens about aftershocks, and added there were no casualties or major damage in Turkey.

Source: Khaleej Times