Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rattles northwestern Turkiye, 68 injured
Baku, November 23, AZERTAC
A strong earthquake jolted Turkiye’s northwestern Duzce province early Wednesday, leaving 68 people injured, including one in critical condition, according to the Turkish health minister, Anadolu Agency reports.
"The treatment of 26 of the injured continues at hospitals. Apart from a severely injured patient, the general condition of our citizens is good, they do not have any serious problems," Fahrettin Koca told reporters in the capital Ankara.
He said a 28-year-old Afghan national suffered a cerebral hemorrhage after falling from the first floor during the earthquake, and he is currently connected to a respirator with serious condition.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who arrived in Duzce immediately after the tremor, said there are no fatalities.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said a 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered in the Golyaka district struck Duzce at 4.08 a.m. (0108GMT).
The quake occurred at a depth of 6.81 kilometers (4.2 miles).
It was also felt in Istanbul and other provinces, including northwestern Bolu, Sakarya, Kocaeli, Bursa, Bilecik, and western Izmir and Kutahya provinces, as well as the capital Ankara.
Following the quake, 101 aftershocks were recorded. Power cuts are being imposed in the region as a precautionary measure, AFAD said.
Duzce Governor Cevdet Atay announced that schools will be closed on Wednesday due to the earthquake.
In 1999, Duzce was hit by a powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake which lasted 30 seconds, killing 710 people and injuring 2,679.
Other news in this section
