Earthquake shakes eastern Turkey

A strong earthquake shook eastern Turkey today, damaging some buildings and injuring several people.

The quake at around 6.50am local time in Erzurum province had a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 and came days after another quake killed 10 people in the region.

Governor Mustafa Malay told NTV television that at least six people were injured, but that he was not aware of any deaths.

Officials said the quake caused cracks in buildings and collapsed stalls for animals.

CNN-Turk said residents fled their homes in panic following the tremor.

Ten people were killed following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake on Thursday that destroyed mud-brick homes in 15 villages in Erzurum. Most of the dead were children sleeping in their beds.

More than 100 aftershocks followed the initial quake. Erzurum is some 540 miles east of Ankara, the capital.

Most of Turkey lies on the active north Anatolian fault. In August 1999 a quake killed more than 17,000 people in western Turkey.