ISTANBUL: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck northwestern Turkey early Wednesday, injuring at least 22 people, according to health chiefs.
The shallow earthquake struck about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the country’s largest city, Istanbul, according to the US Geological Survey.
Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu posted on Twitter that there were no reports of casualties.
Health Minister Farahtin Koka tweeted that 22 people were injured – including one man who was seriously injured after jumping from a building in a fit of panic.
Turkish officials say the quake’s epicenter was in the Goliaka district of Dozus province, although strong tremors were also felt in Istanbul.
Early pictures showed people outside their homes covered in blankets early in the morning.
Turkey’s disaster agency, said there was a controlled blackout in the Doze area, warning residents not to panic.
Turkey is located in one of the most active seismic regions in the world.
In January 2020, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Elazig, killing more than 40 people.
In November of the same year, a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Aegean Sea, killing 114 people and injuring more than 1,000.
