6.0-magnitude quake hits eastern Turkey
10:16, 8 March 2010
ANKARA. March 8. KAZINFORM. A 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey early Monday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
The powerful quake struck Basyurt region of Karakocan town of Elazig province at a depth of 5 km at 4:32 a.m. local time (0232 GMT), said a report from Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of Turkey's Bogazici University.
There were no immediate words of casualties or damage so far, according to the report.
According to an earlier report by the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was measured at 6.2 magnitude, struck 21 km south southwest of Elazig at a depth of 11 km.
Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey. In 1999, more than 18,000 people were killed in two devastating earthquakes in the country; Kazinform cites Xinhua.