Ankara: At least 5 people have died after a powerful earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale, jolted central Turkey early on Monday and was followed by another strong temblor. The earthquake was centred about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi. It was centred 18 kilometres (11 miles) deep, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremors were felt in Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus, according to Turkey media reports. The southern region of Gaziantep - one of Turkey's key industrial and manufacturing hubs - borders Syria. At least five people have reportedly died after the earthquake hit central Turkey, said the news agency AFP. Turkey authorities had earlier said there were no casualties, but several videos posted on social media platforms showed the earthquake damaged many buildings in several cities in the southeast of the country. Governor Erdinc Yilmaz also confirmed that as many as 34 buildings were destroyed in the province. It may be noted that Turkey falls under one of the world's most active earthquake zones. In 1999, a strong 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Duzce killing more than 17,000 people, including about 1,000 in Istanbul - the worst to hit Turkey in decades. Seismologists have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread building without safety precautions.
