At least 12 People Killed in Earthquake in Turkey

The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (DEMP) said that the death toll in Turkey due to the mega earthquake that occurred in Izmir, a coastal city next to the Aegean Sea, on Friday, rose to 12.

The Turkish authority added that the number of injured rose to 419, noting that search and rescue operations in 17 collapsed or damaged buildings are continuing. Residents in various parts of Greece and Turkey felt the earthquake.

Greek officials said two people died on the island of Samos in the Aegean Sea.

Images coming from the wretched city show significant damage, suggesting the death toll may rise.

Of the 12 people confirmed dead, one drowned during the quake.

The DEMP pointed out in a statement released on Friday that preliminary data from local authorities confirmed that further people received various injuries.

Shortly afterward, the presidency of DEMP revised the tally of the dead and injuries.

"Search and rescue operations are continuing at 12 collapsed and damaged buildings across the city of Izmir," it said.

The Turkish authority has measured the earthquake at 6.6 in magnitude, while both the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said it was 7.0.

Shortly after the quake, Izmir’s Ege University urged the public to donate blood at its blood center as a “precaution,” signaling that the number of injured may potentially overwhelm the city’s emergency units.

At least 33 aftershocks followed the destructive earthquake, with 13 of the jolts exceeding a magnitude of 4.0, the Turkish data said.

The epicenter of the primary quake was located at a depth of around 16 km off the Aegean coast, affecting both the Turkish mainland and Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

The tremor was even reportedly felt in Athens, the capital city of Greece.

Turkey’s Izmir and its namesake province have apparently experienced the worst impact.

Izmir is Turkey’s 3rd largest city, with a population of some 3.7 million.

Up to 20 buildings were destroyed by the quake across the province, Izmir’s Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger said in a statement.