68 injured in the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that struck north-west Turkey World news
A magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck a town in northwestern Turkey early Wednesday, causing damage to some buildings and widespread panic. At least 68 people were injured, mostly while trying to escape the buildings. The earthquake was centered in the city of Golkaya, in the Duzce district, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Istanbul, the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said.
It struck at 4:08 am (0108 GMT) and was felt in Istanbul, in the capital Ankara and other parts of the region. Dozens of aftershocks were reported, including one with a magnitude of 4.3. The earthquake woke people from their sleep and many ran out of their homes in panic in the region that experienced a deadly event twenty-three years ago.
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At least 68 people were treated in hospitals for injuries in Duzce and nearby areas, most of them stopped during panic, including to jump from balconies or windows. A 28-year-old Afghan is in critical condition after suffering a stroke, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
Schools in the area have been closed as a precaution.
“Although the earthquake caused damage to many buildings in Golkaya, fortunately, we did not experience any destruction or loss,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an address to his ruling party’s lawmakers.
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The earthquake collapsed the exterior roof and parts of the roof of a courthouse in Duzce, HaberTurk television reported. Among other damages, a two-story shop collapsed on a narrow street, he said. A mosque in the village of Saridere, near the epicenter, was also damaged and has been closed, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.
Many people are camping outside because they are afraid to even return to their homes. Like many other residents of Duzce, Sebahattin Ozturk, 64, was asleep when the earthquake struck. “There were several sounds like explosions and then my wife started crying,” he told The Associated Press. “Bottles and flower pots fell down and our wardrobe doors were smashed.”
To Ahmet Cevat Algun, it was a terrible reminder of the earthquake that struck in 1999. “I think it lasted 40-45 seconds, like the 1999 earthquake,” Algun said. “We are so scared that we don’t know what to do. We went through the same thing again. “
Around 800 people were killed in the powerful earthquake that struck Duzce on November.
Officials say that around 80% of the buildings in the area were rebuilt or fortified after the 1999 earthquakes, which helped reduce damage.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is often shaken by earthquakes.
