Nine injured in south-east Turkey quake

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7, shook south-eastern Turkey today, injuring at least nine people.

The quake struck near the town of Karliova, in rural Bingol province, 560 miles south-east of the capital, Ankara, the Kandilli Observatory said.

The quake occurred at 10.41am (8.41am Irish time). It was also felt in the neighbouring provinces of Erzurum, Mus and Tunceli, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The quake caused several homes to collapse in villages and at least nine people were injured, said local governor Erkan Capar.

Karliova is prone to earthquakes and a temblor of the same magnitude injured 15 people there on March 12.

Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in north-western Turkey in 1999.

In 1995, a magnitude 6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol.