At least two people have been killed and more than 120 injured on the Greek island of Kos after a strong earthquake hit the region.

The 6.5 magnitude quake struck on Thursday night with an epicentre approximately 6.4 miles (10.3km) south of Bodrum, Turkey, and 10 miles (16.2km) east of Kos.

Two male tourists from Turkey and Sweden died after the walls of a bar in Kos broke apart and crashed down on revellers.

Dozens of aftershocks have been reported, while the quake also caused small tsunamis in Kos and Gumbet, a Turkish coastal town.

Med earthquake strikes holiday resorts

In the Turkish resort of Bodrum, around 70 people were taken to hospital, having been injured as they tried to escape the quake.


Giorgos Kyritsis, mayor of Kos, told Greek media: "The buildings affected were mostly old and were built before the earthquake building codes were introduced."

The army has been called on to help emergency services, he added.

Of those injured, two or three are in a serious condition and undergoing surgery, regional officials said.

British holidaymaker describes panic as quake hit

Tourist Tom Perry-Fox was on the second floor of his Kos hotel when the quake struck.

He told Sky News that the experience was "pretty surreal, like a movie".

"You're scared for your life, you don't know what's happening.

"The floor is vibrating like you wouldn't believe."

Quake tremors halt birthday party

Lauren Duffy, a 20-year-old student from Merseyside, was evacuated along with her mother and sister from the Atlantis Hotel, which was strewn with shattered glass.

She said: "We were asleep in our hotel room when we were woken by really violent shaking, and we all were screaming and told to evacuate from the hotel."

Meanwhile, Christopher Hackland, from Edinburgh, was among hundreds of tourists who spent the night outdoors after the quake.

He said: "The instant reaction was to get ourselves out of the (hotel) room. There was banging. There was shaking.

Image: A damaged car after an earthquake hit the resort town of Gumbet in Mugla province, Turkey Image: Damaged boats in Gumbet after the quake triggered a small tsunami Image: The Greek island of Kos was also hit by the earthquake Image: A boat on a pavement after the quake in Kos Image: People sleep in the street following the quake. Continue through for more pictures Image: People stand next to damaged boats after an earthquake and a tsunami in the resort town of Gumbet /

"The light was swinging, banging on the ceiling, crockery falling out of the cupboards, and pans were making noise.

"There was a lot of screaming and crying and hysterics coming from the hotel.

"It felt like being at a theme park with one of the illusions, an optical illusion where you feel like you're upside down."

Greece and Turkey lie in an especially earthquake-prone zone and have felt several tremors in recent weeks.

British tourist thought hotel ceiling would collapse

The quake hit just six miles deep, according to the US Geological Survey.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are speaking to the Turkish and Greek authorities following an earthquake off the coast of Bodrum and near the island of Kos.

"Any British people in the areas affected should follow the instructions of local authorities."