At least four people were killed and 152 others sustained injuries in western Izmir province of Turkey after a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 jolted the Aegean sea on Friday, according to Turkey's The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
The quake had occurred at 2.51 pm local time, at a depth of 16.54 kilometres (around 10 miles) as per AFAD, reported Anadolu News Agency.
AFAD mentioned that an emergency aid of 3 million Turkish liras (around USD 359.000) was sent to the region.
Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger said that 70 people have been rescued so far from the debris.
The National Defense Ministry has established a crisis desk in the wake of the earthquake and two military helicopters are taking part in search and rescue efforts, according to Anadolu News Agency.
Turkish search and rescue teams are continuing their work on the field.
Earlier, Environment Minister Murat Kurum said that people were trapped under the debris of five buildings demolished in Izmir after the earthquake.
The Minister also said he was heading to the region, along with Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca had announced the death toll on Twitter, as people in and around the Turkish city of Izmir gathered in the streets after fleeing their buildings to seek safety, reported CNN.
Around 20 buildings have been destroyed in Izmir due to the earthquake.
Images have shown a car crushed under a building that had collapsed, while TV footage showed people digging through the rubble, apparently in search of survivors.
"There was an older woman in the building but we saved her, she got out. There is another building close to this building. They are continuing to try to get the people out," CNN quoted Soysal, a resident in Izmir province.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed solidarity with the victims of the earthquake.
"With all the means of our state, we stand by our citizens affected by the earthquake. We took action to start the necessary work in the region with all our relevant institutions and ministers," said Erdogan.
( With inputs from ANI )
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