Ex-Bluebirds star caught up in quake

CARDIFF City legend Kevin McNaughton has described his terror at being caught up in the earthquake that hit the Turkish coast and Greek islands.

The 6.7-magnitude quake struck in the Aegean Sea on Thursday night, with the small Greek island of Kos bearing the brunt of the impact.

Police have confirmed that two tourists – one Swedish and one Turkish – have been killed on Kos while more than 120 are believed to have been injured.

Another 70 people are thought to have been injured in the Turkish resort of Bodrum.

The quake triggered a small tsunami which has caused flooding in some parts of Bodrum and Kos and several people have been taken to hospital with injuries.

Bluebirds icon McNaughton was among those in the area at the time the quake struck, and the Scot took to social media to describe his shock at the events that unfolded around him.

In a post on his Twitter account, McNaughton wrote: “Jesus just experienced earthquake in Turkey, literally c ****** myself room shaking all over place, just stood outside now no sure what to do [sic].”

McNaughton – who remains without a club having left Inverness Caledonian Thistle earlier this summer – posted another message to say he was staying in Dalaman, a resort further up the east coast of south Turkey. He also described how he had to “grab his kids (Archie and Finlay) and do a runner”.

Other Welsh tourists caught up in the earthquake have also been talking about their experiences.

Ela Hopkins was in a 17-storey hotel on Ixia on the north coast of Rhodes when the room started shaking and dust and smoke filled the corridor.

She said: “The room was shaking vigorously and the sound was deafening! We stepped out of our room to look down the corridor and see what looked like smoke and dust appearing from the stair ways and elevators. We were on the sixth floor of the 17-floor hotel, Rodos Palace.

“Without putting our clothes or even shoes on we jumped out of bed and rushed down the many flights of stairs checking if other holidaymakers were okay too. There was then hundreds of people gathered at the lobby and outside the buliding.

“With Rodos Palace being the tallest hotel of the Ixia strip we were very anxious and panicked.

“However, the hotel and guests were left unharmed apart from a few furnishings knocked over and ceiling tiles coming down.”

Mobile phone footage captured in Bodrum shows panicked holidaymakers fleeing nearby hotels. People are seen running along a dark street in panic and a moped zooms past.

Kos was nearest to the epicentre of the quake and appeared to be the worst hit, with damage caused to a number of older buildings, including cracked walls and smashed windows.

Katie Payne, who is staying in Kolymbia in Rhodes with her boyfriend Emyr Wile, said the force of the quake woke them both up.

Katie, 22, from Roath, Cardiff, said: “It was about 1.30 in the morning over here, and we are staying on the other side of the island. It woke both of us up. It felt like someone was pushing and pulling the bed and slamming it back.

“I could hear movement upstairs too like chairs and things were being pushed around. We were on the other side of the island so I can’t imagine what it was like the other side closer.”

Katie said she doesn’t believe there is any damage to their hotel but the disaster has caused anxiety at the resort.

Katie, who works at a law firm, said: “We have heard people talking about it at breakfast this morning. People are a bit anxious. A few people are scared to go to the beach now.”