Post Desak : Four people have been killed and 120 injured after a major earthquake hit Turkey and Greece, destroying buildings and sparking a tsunami warning.

One of those who died had drowned, according to Turkey’s disaster management authority.

The epicentre of the tremor of magnitude 7 was in the Aegean Sea some 11 miles (17 km) off the coast of Turkey’s Izmir province, at a depth of 10 miles (16km).

The earthquake was felt across the region, including in Istanbul, the Greek islands and as far as the capital Athens and Bulgaria.

The mayor of Izmir, Turkey’s third biggest city with around 4.5 million residents, said nearly 20 buildings had collapsed.

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Turkey’s health minister Fahrettin Koca said 38 ambulances, two helicopters and 35 medical rescue teams were involved in the operation.

Footage from the area showed flattened buildings and survivors being pulled from the rubble by emergency workers

A tsunami warning was issued, with residents on the Greek island of Samos told to stay away from the coast.

Water rose above the dock in the main harbour of Samos and flooded the street.

People were also told to stay away from buildings as aftershocks rattled the area.

Local officials reported damage to buildings and part of the island’s road network.

Greek seismologist Efthymios Lekkas told state television: “It is an event that is evolving.”