Rescue teams have rummaged through concrete blocks and debris of eight collapsed buildings in a search-and-rescue operation of survivors of a hard-hitting earthquake that shook Turkey's Aegean coast and north of the Greek island of Samos.
At least 28 fatalities have been recorded so far, and over 800 others injured in both countries.
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck on Friday afternoon, toppling buildings in Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city. The quake triggered a small tsunami in the district of Seferihisar and on Samos. It was followed by hundreds of aftershocks.
According to authorities, at least 20 buildings in Izmir were obliterated, and the rescue work was being held as the aftershocks shook the area.
TV photos and videos displayed meticulous work to rescue people from under the debris, reported DW.
Rescuers today dragged a teenager from the wreckage of a demolished eight-floor apartment block as the deaths, and injuries toll soared.
The mini-tsunami in Samos resulted in islanders being advised to avoid the coast after some people fled their homes due to the earthquake. It was also felt in Albania, Athens, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria.
Search and rescue teams last night were photographed plowing through heavy blocks of concrete in a dire attempt to locate survivors trapped beneath the debris, reported Daily Mail.
According to Mayor Tunc Soyer, at least 20 city buildings of Izmir alone were dismantled. Photographs displayed vehicles mashed under the buildings and people rummaging through the rubble in a search and rescue operation, reported CNN.
Turkish officials stated that over 100 aftershocks had been felt.
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The earthquake's most dire effects were being reported in western Turkey, with officials indicating 12 fatalities and 600 injured people. At least 17 buildings were dismantled or damaged in Izmir. It is one of Turkey's largest cities and was known in the ancient past as Smyrna.
The total number of people mashed in their own Turkey homes, a nation infamous for poor quality construction, is not clear yet.
A high school principal named Duygu Kati stated she safely evacuated her pupils as the building they were inside nearly collapsed.
On Saturday, witnesses whooped as rescuers lifted teenager Inci Okan out of the debris of a destroyed eight-floor apartment block in Izmir's Bayrakli district. She was immediately rushed to the hospital. Her dog, named Fistik, was also saved. They were trapped for 17 hours.
Relatives and friends waited outside the building for news of loved ones remaining trapped under the rubble.
In another collapsed building, rescuers detected a 38-year-old woman and her four children aged 3, 7, and 10-year-old twins were making efforts to clear a corridor to rescue them.
At least 804 injured people were recorded in Turkey, according to the nation's disaster agency. Dozens were rescued by teams through diggers and helicopters in their search and rescue operations.
Despite recent differences, Greece and France have reached out to Turkey and promised help should Turkey need it.
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