Magnitude 5.4 earthquake hits eastern Turkey, no fatalities reported

Initial reports said the quake did not cause any fatalities or serious damage. Boğazici University's Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute said the epicenter of the quake, which hit the province at 10:34 a.m., was the İçme town and it occurred at a depth of 6.1 kilometers.

The quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Malatya, Bingöl, Diyarbakır and Tunceli.

The quake led to panic among Elazığ residents who rushed into the streets and left their homes following the tremor. Speaking on NTV news in a phone interview, İçme Mayor Faruk Erdem said no fatalities have been reported. Elazığ Mayor Süleyman Selmanoğlu also confirmed that there are no casualties, but that the quake caused landslides in mountainous areas. He also said some houses were damaged in Sarıkamış village and that the minaret of a mosque had collapsed.

In March 2010, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake in Elazığ killed 51 villagers in the sparsely populated area.

Turkey, crossed by many faultlines, frequently suffers earthquakes. An earthquake measuring 7.4 killed about 18,000 people in August 1999.

An earthquake that registered magnitude 5.9 in the western province of Kütahya's Simav district in May killed two people and damaged 103 buildings.