UPDATE:

Terrifying vision has emerged of the moment a deadly earthquake struck the Greek and Turkish coastlines, sending hundreds of residents and holiday-makers into the streets in a bid to flee collapsing buildings.

The quake killed at least two people, injured more than 120 people and created a small tsunami after striking near the Greek tourist island of Kos.

The epicentre of the 6.5 magnitude quake struck at about 1.31am about 15 kilometres east of the island and trembled other tourist hubs, Bodrum and Datca, on Turkey’s Aegean coastline.

Local mayor George Kyritsis told Reuters at least two people died when the roof of a Kos bar collapsed.

The two deceased have not been named, but the BBC has reported one of the victims was Swedish and the other was Turkish.

Tourists and locals sitting in the downstairs bar were crushed after the quake hit the 1930s building and it collapsed.

Footage shows scale of damage inside and out of buildings on Greek island of Kos after deadly earthquake overnight https://t.co/1ezOrbURY0 pic.twitter.com/gAooZhfT2T

— ITV News (@itvnews) July 21, 2017

Dozens more buildings sustained damage including cracks in walls, smashed windows and shops destroyed.

As the aftershocks were felt across Kos and the Aegean’s coastline over the past 24 hours, people chose to sleep outside, fearing further collapses with one person tweeting “the calm after the storm”.

The calm after the storm #kos #earthquake #greece pic.twitter.com/lhjdIXboy1

— Deborah Cairns (@deborah_kinnear) July 21, 2017

“There are not many old buildings left on Kos. Nearly all the structures on the island are built under the new codes to withstand earthquakes,” Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritisis told Reuters.

The Greek island of Kos felt the brunt of the earthquake as one third of the island is without power amid damaged buildings and extensive flooding. Photo: Twitter

The BBC reported that at least 100 others were injured, several in a serious condition, according to Kos regional government official Giorgos Halkidios.

Mr Halkidios said the army was also supporting the emergency services with the rescue operation.

European quake agency EMSC tweeted a small tsunami in Bodrum was caused by the quake and advised beach siders to leave warning the wave could hit other coasts in the area.

The quake caused cracks on the walls of some buildings in the resort of Bodrum, flooded the lower floors of sea-front hotels and restaurants and sent moored boats crashing toward the shore.

Boat captain Metin Kestaneci, 40, told the private Dogan news agency that he was asleep on his vessel when the quake hit.

“There was first a noise and then a roar. Before I could ask ‘what’s happening?’ my boat was dragged toward the shore. We found ourselves on the shore,” Kestaneci said. “I’ve never experienced such a thing.”

Turkey is prone to earthquakes because it is located between the Arabian and Eurasian plates.

The nation’s disaster and emergency management presidency chairman Mehmet Halis Bilden warned residents and tourists to prepare for aftershocks.

Many tourists took to sleeping outside after the quake hit. Photo: AAP

“Our people should know that aftershocks are continuing, so they should refrain from entering damaged or vulnerable structures,” Mr Bilden told broadcaster CNN Turk.

More than 600 people died in October 2011 in Turkey’s eastern province of Van after a 7.2 magnitude quake.

In 1999, two massive earthquakes killed about 20,000 people in the densely populated northeast of the country.

A 5.9 magnitude quake in 1999 killed 143 people in Greece.