ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – A moderate earthquake, followed by several strong aftershocks, leveled homes in eastern Turkey on Friday, officials said. At least six people were injured after jumping out of windows or off balconies in panic.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6, was centered near the town of Dogubeyazit, a remote, mountainous area bordering Iran. It occurred at 10:14 a.m., the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said.
Local official Nurullah Cakir told the Anatolia news agency that the tremors flattened mud-brick homes in some villages near Dogubeyazit, but there were no immediate reports of any deaths.
The same area was hit by a magnitude 5.0 quake that killed 18 people earlier this month, and many residents were already living in tents, Cakir said.
Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.
Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
AP-ES-07-30-04 0746EDT
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