5.9 magnitude earthquake hits western Turkey

An earthquake of 5.9-magnitude struck western Turkey, killing at least three people and injuring more than 100, authorities told local media on Friday.

The quake struck Turkey at 11:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, which partly collapsed some buildings and one mosque.

The Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said the quake was centered in the town of Simav.

Two people, including one who jumped out of a window in panic, were killed, Environment Minister Veysel Eroglu told reporters. 79 people, including some who suffered from panic-related shock and heart attacks, were taken to hospitals, Eroglu said. Only one out of them was in serious condition, he added.

“Some elderly people did not notice the cracks at one mosque at dawn and left morning prayers after the warnings,” Bilgin Turkmentepe, a member of the search and rescue group Akut, said.

As authorities warned residents against re-entering their home, residents spent their nights in car or in the streets.

Mustafa Erdik, head of the Kandilli Observatory said that the quake that shook Kutahya was followed by about 50 aftershocks.

Due to the quake, electricity and telephone lines were hit in Simav, reports said.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey and the last major one in March 2010, measuring 6.0-magnitude, struck eastern Turkey, killing 51 people.