ANKARA (AFP) – A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck northwest Turkey during Wednesday’s early hours, injuring dozens people, according to health chiefs.
The shallow tremor struck about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of Istanbul, the country’s largest city, according to the US Geological Survey.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu posted on Twitter that there was no information on loss of life.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted that dozens of people were injured -- including one who was seriously hurt after jumping from a building out of panic.
Turkish authorities said the quake’s epicenter was in Duzce province’s Golyaka district, though it was also strongly felt in Istanbul.
Initial images showed people covered in blankets outside their homes during the early morning.
Turkey’s disaster agency, the AFAD, said there were controlled blackouts in the Duzce region, warning residents not to panic.
Turkey is situated in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.
A magnitude 6.8 quake hit Elazig in January 2020, killing more than 40 people.
In November that year, a powerful 7.0 magnitude quake hit the Aegean Sea, killing 114 people and wounding more than 1,000.
About 800 people were killed in a powerful earthquake that hit Duzce on November 12, 1999. In August of that year, 17,000 people were killed by another powerful temblor that devastated nearby Kocaeli province and other parts of northwest Turkey.
Officials said about 80 percent of the buildings in the area were rebuilt or fortified following the 1999 earthquakes, which helped minimize damage.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.