Tourists and locals look at the damages caused on Kos island after a 6.4-magnitude quake hit the sea area on July 21, 2017. Two people were killed in a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that jolted the Greek Dodecanese islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea on Friday, national AMNA news agency reported. (Xinhua/Giannis Kiaris/Eurokinissi)
by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Two people have lost their lives and dozens have been slightly injured on Kos island on Friday after an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale jolted Greek Dodecanese islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
The two victims died when a roof on a bar collapsed, Kos mayor Yorgos Kiritsis told AMNA, referring also to a still unclear number of light injuries and significant material damages on the island which is a popular tourist destination.
Approximately 100 people suffering slight injuries are seeking first aid in the local hospital, local news portal Kosnews24 reported.
Two helicopters will transfer the injured to the larger nearby island of Rhodes for further treatment, AMNA reported.
Three people were rescued from a damaged building, the Fire Brigade said.
Kos' port has suffered damages, and a ferry could not dock and continued sailing to other islands, according to the Greek Coast Guard.
Dozens of locals and tourists spent the early hours of Friday outdoors, since several houses and hotels have been damaged and beachfront buildings briefly flooded from the waves caused by a mini tsunami, local media reported.
Seismologists in the Geodynamic Institute of the Athens Observatory located the tremor's epicenter at about 8 km depth at 15 km off the east coasts of Kos island.
Greek experts are closely monitoring the seismic activity, as many strong aftershocks have been recorded, Geology Professor Efthymios Lekkas, head of Greece's Antiseismic Protection Organization, told AMNA, before departing for the island, heading a delegation of experts.
The ministers of Infrastructure and Public Order and the Deputy Minister of Shipping also travelled to Kos, according to AMNA.
