Earthquake rocks eastern Turkey
A strong earthquake shook a mountainous area in eastern Turkey today, damaging several buildings and injuring at least five people.
Most of those reported hurt had jumped out of windows in panic, local officials said.
The 6.5-magnitude quake struck the eastern province of Tunceli with its epicentre near the town of Pulumur.
It was also felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Erzurum and Sivas.
Pulumur Mayor Mesut Coskun said the quake damaged several buildings and called for tents, saying residents were too afraid to return to their homes.
“Despite the cold, no one can return home. We urgently need tents,” Coskun said. The quake was followed by three mild aftershocks.
Two students threw themselves out of a school window in panic and were slightly injured, he said.
Three other people were injured in Erzincan province after also jumping out of windows.
Mustafa Erkal, the Tunceli provincial governor, said the quake caused cracks to some state buildings in the city of Tunceli.
“The people are out in the streets but no one was injured in Tunceli according to initial reports,” Erkal said.
Teams have been sent to more remote areas to assess damage there. Ali Ada, a local official in Pulumur, said there were reports of damage to homes in at least five nearby villages.
Tunceli province, about 750 miles east of the capital Ankara, is a mountainous area and is not heavily populated.
Most of Turkey lies on the active North Anatolian fault. In 1999, two major earthquakes struck western Turkey, killing some 18,000 people.
