Moderate earthquake hits west Turkey, 2 killed

Moderate earthquake hits west Turkey, 2 killed

2011-05-20 20:12:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

ANKARA, TURKEY (BNO NEWS) -- A moderate earthquake struck the western region of Turkey late Thursday night, killing at least two people, officials said Friday.

According to Turkey's Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, the quake registered a 5.9 magnitude at a depth of 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) at around 11:15 p.m. local time in the town of Simav, located in the Kutahya Province.

Kutahya Governor Kenan Ciftci and Turkish Environment Minister Veysel Eroglu confirmed the number of deaths, adding that at least 79 others had sustained injuries. The earthquake also damaged several buildings and vehicles.

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency- which registered a 5.7-magnitude earthquake at the same time but at a depth of 24 kilometers (15 miles) in Simav as well - said it had deployed 286 people from search, rescue and health teams to the town of Simav, as well as several vehicles, including 50 ambulances, and detection dogs to help search efforts.

Several aftershocks were felt in the surrounding areas following the quake, including a 4.6-magnitude earthquake around 10 minutes after the initial one.

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