A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, sending people into the streets in panic and damaging some buildings, The Associated Press quoted officials as saying. No injuries were reported. The epicenter of the quake was the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7. The quake caused great panic and partly collapsed a building in the village of Kayapinar while slightly damaging a primary school as well as a post office in the town of Sivrice, Elazig Gov. Muammer Musmul said. Soldiers and police were trying to reach remote mountain villages while a paramilitary helicopter flew over the area to make an assessment, CNN-Turk television said. Parents rushed to schools to pick up their children in the region, the broadcaster reported. Seismologists warned against aftershocks and residents were fearful of re-entering buildings, reports said. The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor. The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.
