A 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted the Greek island of Kos last night, waking up islanders and tourists alike. Two were killed when a bar collapsed, while over 500 people were injured elsewhere. Once the tremors there and along the coast of Turkey had finished, little sleep was had as rescue crews worked into the night to help the injured. In addition, aftershocks continued throughout the night. In neighboring Turkey, at least 350 people alone were injured.
According to ABC News, the two Greek tourists killed were from Turkey and Sweden. The quake not only damaged buildings on shore, but also created a two-foot swell out at sea that wrecked boats, cars and shoreline infrastructure. One of the worst hit buildings was the White Corner Club, along with some of the oldest buildings on the island — including a church, a mosque and 14th century sea fort. The Turkish resort town of Bodrum, across the Aegean Sea from Greece, was also damaged by the quake. Hotels, shops and restaurants close to shore were flooded by the waves, which came as far as one football field inland.
Seismologists explained the earthquake was shallow, allowing it to cause more damage. Fortunately there weren’t more casualties or costlier damage, as the earthquake-prone area was rebuilt to stricter standards after a powerful quake decimated it in the 1930s. Rescue efforts are ongoing, and Turkey sent a ship to fetch 200 of its citizens and bring them home from their ruined vacations abroad.
(Via ABC News)