Trukey, November : An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale has struck the Gulf of Soros off the Aegean Sea in western Turkey but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
The earthquake occurred at 4:51 a.m. local time (0251 GMT) on Wednesday, Hurriyet newspaper reported.
The quake caused panic among residents in Canakkale, a province near the gulf. People fled outdoors when they felt the first jolt of the earthquake.
The locals returned to their homes when they observed that the quake had not caused destruction.
The quake was also felt in the provinces of Istanbul, Balikesir, Edirne and Tekirdag.
The worst of Turkey’s earthquakes in recent years happened on August 17, 1999, when a 7.4-magnitude quake struck the city of Izmit in northwestern part of the country.
Turkey’s official estimates put the toll at 17,127 killed and 43,959 injured.
—-Agencies