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Several fatalities after earthquake hits Turkey

A strong earthquake hit the Aegean Sea on Friday, bringing buildings crashing down in Turkey and setting off tidal waves which slammed into coastal areas and nearby Greek islands.

A magnitude of up to 7.0 was recorded for the quake when it struck in the afternoon.

Early reports from the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) say there have been several fatalities, with hundreds more injured.

In the Turkish tourist destination of Izmir, there were reports of people stuck in the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Some neighborhoods were deluged with surging seawater, sweeping a flood of debris inland and leaving fish stranded as it receded.

Residents of the Greek island of Samos, which has a population of about 45,000, were urged to stay away from coastal areas.

High tidal wave warnings were in place across the area, with the vice-mayor saying they'd never experienced anything like it.

Turkey and Greece have been caught up in a bitter dispute over resources in the Mediterranean Sea, but Ankara said the respective foreign ministers spoke by phone after the earthquake and agreed they were ready to help one another.