Residents, Tourists Sleep Outside After Earthquake Aftershocks Strike Greek Isle

The earthquake hit Turkey and Greece and killed two and injured 500.

July 24, 2017 10:00 am
Tourist sleep on sun beds at a beach of the Greek island of Kos, on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Hundreds of residents and tourists on the eastern Greek island of Kos spent the night sleeping outdoors, on beach lounge-chairs, in parks and olive groves or in their cars, a night after a powerful earthquake killed two tourists and injured nearly 500 others across the Aegean Sea region, in Greece and Turkey.
Tourist sleep on sun beds at a beach of the Greek island of Kos, on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Hundreds of residents and tourists on the eastern Greek island of Kos spent the night sleeping outdoors, on beach lounge-chairs, in parks and olive groves or in their cars, a night after a powerful earthquake killed two tourists and injured nearly 500 others across the Aegean Sea region, in Greece and Turkey. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Two aftershocks hit the Greek island of Kos on Saturday, just minutes of each other, sending tourists and business owners into another panic after an earthquake on Friday that killed two men and injured almost 500 others in Greece and Turkey.

The first tremor was about 4.4 magnitude and struck at 8:09 pm local time. People ran to the main square so that they were as far away from buildings as possible, reports The IndependentSixteen minutes later, the second tremor hit at 4.6 magnitude.

Friday’s earthquake was measured at 6.7 magnitude by the US Geological Survey. Two men were killed when a wall collapsed into a popular bar in Kos’s Old Town.

Many people were too scared to return to their hotels or homes on Friday after the quake, so residents and tourists alike camped out in parks and olive groves. The aftershocks reinvigorated that fear, and many people slept outside again.

A 30-year-old-resident, Panagiotis Bekali, told The Associated Press that he slept in an olive grove with relatives with his five-year-old son and 16-year-old nephew slept in the family’s car. He said there were cracks in the house, so they were too afraid to stay indoors.

The earthquake also caused injury and panic in Turkey. About 350 of the injuries occurred in Turkey. Waves caused by the earthquake pushed cars off the road and boats inland.

In Kos, the earthquake damaged the island’s main port and the 17th-century Defternatar Ibrahim Pasa mosque, whose minaret collapsed completely. The minaret was restored only a few years ago. Ancient columns in the main town were also damaged.

Kos’s mayor, Giorgos Kyritsis, said he had not seen many cancellations from tourists since the quake.

“Life on the island is returning to normal,” Kyritsis said to The Associated Press. “The infrastructure problems are being repaired.”

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