Earthquake kills two, injures many in Turkey, Greek islands

A powerful earthquake struck off the Turkish coast. Photo / USGS

At least two people have been killed and a number have been injured in a powerful earthquake that rattled Greek islands and Turkey's Aegean coast.

An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.7 has struck off the Turkish coast, triggering a tsunami in the Mediterranean.

Beachfront hotels full of holidaymakers were flooded in the coastal city of Marmaris, Turkey, while the effects were also felt on islands such as Crete.

The tremor struck at 1.31am local time (11.31pm GMT) approximately 10km south of Bodrum, Turkey and 16km east of the party island of Kos, Greece.

Depremin ardından deniz yükseldi, Bodrum'da yolları ve otelleri su bastı pic.twitter.com/20g1J0o2sl

— Haberdar (@Haberdar) July 20, 2017

Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis told state-run Greek media that buildings on the island sustained structural damage. He didn't give further details on the deaths and injuries.

The coast guard also announced the island's port was damaged in the quake and that a ferry en route there was not docking.

The fire department separately said three injured people had been rescued from rubble on Kos.

Eyewitnesses said there were several aftershocks up to a magnitude of 5.8, while social media users posted videos of locals cowering for cover.

According to Turkey's disaster and emergency management service, an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 occurred and was felt in Mugla and its surrounding areas.

Others told how sea levels dipped by about a foot before the tsunami struck, followed by mass floods shortly after.

Looks like a rave in the woods but it's actually our hotel in Kos that's been evacuated after a earthquake! pic.twitter.com/7oqM7u5DWs

— Ciarán Mc Mahon (@CJAMcMahon) July 20, 2017

The tremblor, initially reported as a magnitude 6.9, was very shallow, only 10km below the seabed.

A magnitude 6.7 quake is considered strong and is capable of causing considerable damage, but today's tsunami would have been dampened by seas.

Turkey is prone to earthquakes because it is located between the Arabian plate and Eurasian plate.

- additional reporting by AP