At Least 35 Injured After Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Rocks Western Turkey

By Staff, Agencies

A strong magnitude 6.0 was recorded in western Turkey early Wednesday and appeared to have been felt over a distance of more than 200 kilometers, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center has detailed.

Findings released by the nonprofit organization indicated the earthquake was felt at a depth of 6 kilometers near Duzce, the capital of Turkey's western Duzce Province. At present, one aftershock – a magnitude 3.0 – was recorded in the same vicinity.

Not long after reports first emerged of the earthquake, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca indicated that 22 individuals had been injured in Duzce. One person sustained serious injuries after having jumped "from a height."

A preliminary reading captured by the US Geological Survey determined that the initial quake had measured on the Richter scale at a magnitude 6.1, and hit at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Testimonies collected by the EMSC organization ranged in their descriptions of the event, with some noting the quake woke them up or caused the electricity to go out in their home.

"It wasn't very scary," wrote one user who was located some 58 kilometers from the epicenter. "It took 10 seconds as far as I can tell."

Another user remarked that their home was "rocking like a cradle."

The deadliest quake to have occurred near Duzce took place in August 1999, when a magnitude 7.8 quake caused the deaths of over 17,000 individuals. EMSC noted that earthquakes of similar strength hit the area in 1944 and 1970, killing a combined total of over 5,000 residents.