Moderate earthquake shakes Turkey, no casualties reported

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A moderately strong earthquake shook buildings in western Turkey on Wednesday, causing a few derelict structures to collapse, but authorities said there were no immediate reports of any casualties.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said the 5.4-magnitude quake struck near the town of Akhisar, in Manisa province, at a depth of 6.8 kilometers (4.2 miles). It was followed by a magnitude 4.1 aftershock.

The quake, which sent people running outdoors for safety, was also felt in neighboring provinces, as well as in the cities of Istanbul and Izmir, private broadcaster NTV reported.

Manisa Gov. Ahmet Deniz told NTV that the tremor caused “five or six” abandoned or derelict structures to collapse in Akhisar.

Turkey is crossed by fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. In 1999, a magnitude-7.4 quake killed more than 17,000 people in northwestern Turkey.

source: yahoo.com