ISTANBUL — At least fourteen people have been killed in Turkey and Greece after a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea on Friday afternoon.

The 7.0 magnitude tremor was centered off Turkey's Izmir province, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Turkey put the magnitude lower, at 6.6, saying 12 people had died and 419 were injured in the city of Izmir while on the Greek island of Samos, two teenagers were killed after a wall collapsed on them.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has expressed its deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives caused by the earthquake, praying to God for mercy for those who died, and a speedy recovery for the injured.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government would help those affected by the quake "with all the means available to our state".

More than 419 people have been injured in Turkey, the country's disaster agency said, dozens of them saved by rescue teams using diggers and helicopters to search for survivors. Search and rescue operations continue in 17 buildings, the agency added.

TV footage showed water flooding through the streets of Cesme and Seferihisarin in parts of Turkey's wider Izmir province, as well as on the Greek island of Samos, in what officials described as a "mini tsunami."

There were reports of flooding in the city after the sea level rose, and some fishermen are said to be missing. — Agencies