After a heavy earthquake hit the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, at least 20 people died and hundreds more were injured.

The earthquake leveled buildings in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir, where the Seferihisar district was hit by a small tsunami.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), at least 20 people were killed, including one who drowned, and more than 700 were wounded.

AFAD said there were 244 aftershocks, 24 of which on the Richter scale were above 4.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, videos posted on Twitter showed flooding.

The Mayor of Izmir's Seferihisar, Ismail Yetiskin, said sea levels had risen as a result of the quake.

"It seems that there is a small tsunami," he told NTV broadcaster.

Social media footage showed debris floating through the streets in the deluge, including refrigerators, chairs, and tables.

Cars were dragged by the water in Izmir's Seferihisar district and piled up on top of each other.

Ilke Cide, a doctoral student who, during the earthquake, was in Izmir's Guzelbahce region, said he went inland after the waters rose.

Two teenagers died in Samos, where a tsunami warning was issued, after being hit by a collapsed wall.

Tweeting condolences, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: "Words are too poor to describe what one feels about the loss of children."

Another eight individuals were reportedly treated for light injuries at the local hospital.

On Twitter, Turkish Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca said 38 ambulances, two ambulance helicopters, and 35 medical rescue teams were operating in Izmir.

AFAD stated that the Aegean earthquake was centered at a depth of 16.5 kilometers and recorded at magnitude-6.6.