Europe

Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes off Turkish coast

Small tsunami confirmed after quake close to Turkey’s Bodrum and Greek island of Kos

The quake, which struck at 1.31am (11.31pm Irish time on Thursday), was located off the southwestern coastal city of Marmaris, the USGS said. It was close to the Turkish town of Bodrum and the Greek island of Kos in the Dodecanese Islands archipelago. File photograph: Google Street View

Fri Jul 21 2017 - 00:36

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.7 struck off the southwestern Turkish coast on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The quake could have caused a small tsunami in the area, European quake agency EMSC said, although Turkish officials said large waves were more likely than a tsunami.

“A small tsunami is confirmed. AVOID BEACHES IN THE AREA, but you are safe on higher grounds,” EMSC said on Twitter.

The quake, which struck at 1.31am (11.31pm Irish time on Thursday), was located off the southwestern coastal city of Marmaris, the USGS said.

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It was close to the Turkish town of Bodrum and the Greek island of Kos in the Dodecanese Islands archipelago.

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

A magnitude 6.7 quake is considered strong and is capable of causing considerable damage, but the effects of this one would have been dampened by seas.

Turkey is prone to earthquakes because it is located between the Arabian plate and Eurasian plate.

Are you in an area affected by the earthquake? Contact us on newsdesk@irishtimes.com

Reuters

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