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By Idyli Tsakiri and Furkan Naci Top
ATHENS (AA) - A Turkish citizen was among two people killed when a severe earthquake hit the Greek island of Kos, close to the western Turkish coast, in the early hours of Friday, a local official said.
The second victim of the 6.3-magnitude shock was a Swedish national, South Aegean Governor Giorgos Hadjimarkou said in televised remarks.
Both fatalities are male, Greek fire department sources told Anadolu Agency.
The earthquake also left several more people injured, six of them in a critical condition, a Greek Air Force spokesman said, adding they were being transported to hospitals in other areas of the country.
According to pictures posted on social media by the local fire department, a bar in the area suffered serious damage, resulting in the collapse of a wall and leading to the death of the two tourists.
National Health Operations Center manager Nikos Papaefstathiou talked to local media and said at least 95 people who suffered minor injuries had been examined and discharged by doctors.
The quake hit at 1.31 a.m. local time (2231GMT) at a depth of 7.8 kilometers (4.8 miles), according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
The region was hit by approximately 40 more aftershocks ranging in strength between 3.0- to 4.6-magnitude.
Esengul Civelek, governor of the Turkish province of Mugla in the country’s Aegean region, said some upset residents in the area close to the quake were spending the night outdoors.
- Quake affects Turkey
“There was no structural damage but a small number of residents were slightly injured in the panic,” she said.
Power remained on but some electrical faults were reported, Civelek added.
Mugla Metropolitan Mayor Osman Gurun said the authorities took immediate measures against grass fires due to damage caused to electricity transmission lines.
Datca District Mayor Gursel Ucar said at least 15 people in his area had been taken to hospital after the earthquake.
The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, a Turkish earthquake research center, measured a minor tsunami washing over parts of Turkish Aegean coast following the earthquake.
“A 10 centimeter [4 inch] tsunami wave was measured at the sea level station in Bodrum,” it said in a statement.
Rising sea levels in Bodrum after the earthquake caused damage to several boats and vehicles.
Boat owner Yekta Ongun told Anadolu Agency he was with his family in their craft during the earthquake. They had to flee the vessel before it sunk, he said.
Last month, the region was rattled by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Izmir's Karaburun district.
*Huseyin Kanber and Durmus Genc in Mugla, Turkey, and Ensar Balci in Ankara also contributed to this report.