Moderate quake shakes western Turkey causing panic

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A moderately strong earthquake has struck Turkey’s western province of Izmir, causing panic among residents and toppling the minaret of a mosque. The country’s disaster management agency said the 4.9-magnitude earthquake was centered in Izmir’s Buca district and struck at 3:29 a.m. on Friday. The quake was followed by several aftershocks and was felt in surrounding areas. At least two people were injured after jumping from a height while trying to escape their homes in panic, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. The temblor occurred days after Izmir had commemorated the victims of a magnitude 6.6 earthquake that claimed the lives of 117 people on Oct. 30, 2020.