A 14-year-old girl was killed and 68 others were injured after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake rocked several Greek islands and western parts of Turkey.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said that the tremor struck the Dodecanese Islands of Greece, near the region's border with Turkey. The child who was killed was in the resort town of Fethiye when the earthquake struck, said Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Teenager Dies Following Earthquake
After the incident, the teenager was quickly transported to a local hospital but she was later pronounced dead because of her injuries. Yerlikaya added that the majority of people who were injured were hurt when they tried to jump from heights while in a panic, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The magnitude 6.2 earthquake was the second in a series of tremors reported to have struck the region overnight. The first one was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake which prompted concerns from residents in several cities and towns near the area.
Touristik Union International (TUI) issued an urgent message to holidaymakers in Rhodes, Greece, the morning when the earthquake struck. It encouraged people to stay calm and follow safety instructions that are provided by their accommodation or local officials.
Now, local officials from both countries are assessing the situation following the earthquakes but there were no immediate reports of major structural damage. However, emergency teams are still on high alert because experts warned of potential aftershocks that could follow the tremors, Express reported.
Powerful Tremors Strike Turkey and Greek Islands
One tourist posted on X about their experience with the earthquake, saying the tremors woke them up as the hotel was shaking violently. They added that they had never felt such a powerful earthquake before, which was a little concerning.
The 14-year-old girl who died because of the earthquake was later identified as Afranur Gunlu. Video footage of the incident was also shared online that showed the moment the tremor struck, where people could be seen running out of restaurants and hotels to get into the streets.
A lot of people gathered in parks in nearby areas in the early morning hours to avoid any falling debris if structures were to be damaged. Efthimios Lekkas, a Greek seismologist, said that the depth of the earthquake's epicenter, which was below the Earth's crust, meant it could be felt across a wider area.
He added that it would, fortunately, not have any significant impact on the surface, which means it will not cause tsunamis or a rick aftershock sequence, as per the Dailymail.
