Earthquake strikes Greek island of Kos and coastal towns in Turkey
A powerful earthquake in the Aegean sea has wreaked havoc tourist hot-spots near the Greek island of Kos and off the coast of Turkey, leaving two dead and more than 200 injured.
The 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of Friday near the north-east of Kos and the Turkish coastal towns of Bodrum and Datça, with a depth of 10km, the US Geological Survey said.
Two tourists, from Turkey and Sweden, were killed when a ceiling or wall collapsed in Kos, Greek authorities said.
Over 100 were injured as they tried to flee the earthquake.
The mayor of Kos said the most damage was done to buildings constructed before "earthquake building codes" were introduced. "The rest of the island has no problem. It's only the main town that has a problem."
A strong team of 15 from Greece’s specialist search and rescue units flew into Kos in the early hours, the Guardian reported, while the country’s armed forces were put on alert.
Search and rescue units, along with officials from the local fire services were reported to be picking through debris in attempt to search for more potential victims.