The earthquake occurred at around 22:20 TSI, with its epicenter at a latitude of 37.8253 degrees north and a longitude of 26.9485 degrees east, and at a depth of 6.96 km.

On October 30, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck, about 14 km (8.7 mi) northeast of the Greek island of Samos.

Many buildings were damaged or collapsed as a result of the earthquake, with the Church of the Virgin Mary in Karlovasi, Greece, partially collapsing, while in the Turkish city İzmir, which was heavily affected by the earthquake, dozens of buildings were either damaged or completely collapsed. Emergency services in both countries immediately attended the scene, as rescue efforts continued into the night.

115 people died and 1,034 more were injured in Turkey and 2 people died, with 19 more sustaining minor injuries in Greece.

The resulting death toll has made this event 2020's deadliest earthquake so far.