Screaming
holidaymakers ran from a bustling Kos bar in terror as a violent earthquake
collapsed a wall into the roof - crushing and killing two revellers.
Scores
of tourists and local residents fled as buildings crumbled around them,
crushing limbs and causing hundreds of casualites.
As
a search and rescue unit from the Greek armed forces flew in support citizens,
pictures of families cowering under tables and huddled on sun loungers emerged.
Two
men have died and more than 200 people are injured after the powerful quake
shook the coast of Turkey early this morning.
The
tremor, said to have been up to a magnitude of 6.7, struck south of the Turkish
city of Bodrum and east of the Greek island of Kos - areas popular with British
holidaymakers.
Buildings
on Kos were damaged by the shockwaves, which prompted a small tsunami, flooding
parts of the island.
The
mayor of the popular island, George Kyritsis, confirmed two men were killed
when a wall collapsed onto a bar in the old town area.
The
revellers – whose names have not been revealed – were from Turkey and Sweden.
Greek
media is reporting that five people, three of whom have been “seriously
injured”, have been flown by Chinook helicopter from Kos to Crete for
treatment.
Emergency
services have rushed them to the island’s main University general hospital in
Heraklion.
One
of the injured is said to have suffered what are being described as “very
severe injuries” to both legs.
Tourists
had to flee their hotel rooms when the quake hit at around 1.30am, and have
been experiencing aftershocks throughout the night.
A
number of Britons have spoken of their fear when they felt tremors as the quake
struck.
Lauren
Duffy, from Merseyside, said glass and broken pieces of marble statues were
among the debris strewn near her hotel in the wake of the earthquake.
The
University of Chester student, who is staying at the Atlantis Hotel in Lambi, a
short drive from Kos Town which is believed to have been worst affected, spent
the night outside with fellow guests as aftershocks continued to rock the
island.
The
20-year-old, who is on holiday with her mother and sister, said: "We were
woken up by really aggressive shaking.
"We
didn't know what it was. You couldn't find your balance. It was just a scary
situation."
Naomi
Ruddock, who is on holiday in Kos with her mother Eleanor, said a staff member
told her it was the worst earthquake the area had seen.
The
22-year-old from London, who is staying at the Akti Palace Hotel in Kardamena,
said: "The restaurant manager just said that he's never seen anything like
this ever happen ever around this area or ever in Greece. He said it was like
something out of a film, and it was."
Describing
the quake she said: "We were asleep and we just felt the room shaking. The
room moved. Literally everything was moving. And it kind of felt like you were
on a boat and it was swaying really fast from side to side, you felt
seasick."
Former
footballer Kevin McNaughton said he is near Dalaman, around 120 miles from
Bodrum in Turkey.
The
ex-Cardiff City player tweeted: "Jesus just experienced earthquake in
turkey, literally crapped myself room shaking allover place, Just stood outside
now no sure what to do."
The
effects of the quake were felt by people miles away from the epicentre.
Many
ran from their homes or holiday apartments with pillows and blankets, according
to one Briton who is staying in Didim, around 60 miles from Bodrum.
Kristian
Stevens, from Nelson, in Lancashire, said he felt the building he was in
"shake like a jelly".
Sophie
Wild said she fled her third floor accommodation in Altinkum, around 500 miles
from Bodrum, when she woke to a loud banging noise.
The
21-year-old, from Canterbury, in Kent, said she was woken by a loud banging
noise.
She
said: "When we realised it was an earthquake, we got an immediate sense to
get out, we thought the building was going to crumble around us. We ran down
our stairs (were on third floor).
"People
were running out of rooms, banging on people's doors to make sure they were
out. Everyone just ran outside and waited for a couple of hours - it's only now
that people are starting to go back to their rooms. There are a few cracks in
the walls but otherwise staff says it's safe."
Speaking
to an Online source, Ela Hopkins, from Wales, who is on holiday in Rhodes,
said: "The room was shaking vigorously and the sound was deafening! We
stepped out of our room to look down the corridor and see what looked like
smoke and dust appearing from the stair ways and elevators.
"We
were on the 6th floor of the 17-floor hotel, Rodos Palace. We without putting
our clothes or even shoes on jumped out of bed and rushed down the many flights
of stairs checking if other holidaymakers were okay too.
"There
was then hundreds of people gathered at the lobby and outside the building.
With Rodos Palace being the tallest hotel of the Ixia strip we were very
anxious and panicked.
so horrible
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