Strong earthquake hits Greece and Turkey, injuring hundreds

A strong earthquake hit at 12:25 local time, Saturday May 24th, in the Aegean Sea, with the epicenter located southwest of the Greek island of Samothraki, 185 miles northeast of Athens. The USGS also reported a magnitude of 6.4, but later revised it to 6.9. According to the Institute of Geophysics, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the magnitude of the temblor was 6.3. The quake did not cause any structure collapses, although hundreds were injured in areas of Turkey as a result of panic, as people rushed out of buildings. 

The temblor lasted approximately 20 to 30 seconds and was felt in a wide area, including Thessaloniki, the west coast of Turkey, Istanbul, as well as areas of Bulgaria. It occurred in a highly seismic area, generating strong earthquakes, such as the 1982 magnitude 7.0 event, according to Manolis Skordilis of the Institute of Geophysics. A state hospital in Canakkale, Turkey was evacuated while part of the ceiling collapsed in the airport of Lemnos, Greece, slightly injuring a British tourist. At least 266 people were injured in Turkey, as a result of panic, which led people rushing out of buildings. 

Post shaking seismic activity is continuing and is closely monitored by seismologists, measuring more than 70 aftershocks, the strongest of magnitude 5.5, according to Turkey's emergency and disaster management agency. The recent event revived painful memories from the devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.4 recorded in Kocaeli, in the northwestern Turkey, killing about 20,000 people and causing extensive damage in structures and infrastructure, leaving about half a million people homeless in the area.