Death toll rises to 20 in the powerful earthquakes in Turkey and Greece
Dhaka: The death toll from strong earthquakes in Turkey and Greece has risen to 20.
More than 600 people were injured in the tremor. The injured are trapped under the rubble of several buildings. An operation is underway to rescue them.
It was reported in the Turkish daily Sabah.
The epicenter was reported below the Aegean Sea, however; no tsunami alert was issued. As the sea rose, some roads in the Turkish city of Izmir and Greece were submerged. The quake, which struck at 11:50 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (6:50 p.m. Bangladesh time), had a magnitude of 6.6 on the Richter scale.
During the quake, residents of Istanbul, Izmir and other cities in Turkey fled their homes and took to the streets. The same scene was seen in Greece.
The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) confirmed the information.
At least 20 people have been killed in strong earthquakes in Turkey and Greece, according to AFP. 709 people were injured.
Izmir Mayor Tunak Soar said about 20 buildings had collapsed in the city. The governor of Izmir said 70 people have been rescued from under the rubble.
In 1999, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook the region of northwestern Turkey and killed at least 17,000 people.
A strong earthquake in the southeastern province of Van in 2011 killed at least 600 people. The last fatal earthquake in Greece was in 2017. A strong earthquake on the island of Kos near Samos in July of that year killed at least two people.