12 killed, 438 wounded in Aegean Sea earthquake

At least 12 people were killed and 438 others were wounded at a strong earthquake that hit Turkey's western province of Izmir on Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, reported Xinhua.

At a televised speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said search and rescue operations are continuing in the ruins of 17 buildings.

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit the Aegean Sea off Turkey's western province of Izmir at around 1150 GMT at a depth of 16.54 km, and the epicenter was 17.26 km off the Seferihisar district.

Meanwhile, Turkey's presidential office said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Turkish president spoke over the phone after the earthquake, which also affected Greece.

"Erdogan and Mitsotakis exchanged wishes for a speedy recovery," the presidency announced in a written statement.