5.4-magnitude earthquake hits eastern Turkey; homes damaged

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A moderately strong earthquake hit southeast Turkey on Thursday, causing damage to some homes. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.

The 5.4-magnitude quake struck the town of Ozalp, in Van province, near Turkey's border with Iran, at a depth of 6.9 kilometers (4.3 miles), Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said.

It was felt in neighboring provinces, HaberTurk news channel reported.

Gov. Mehmet Emin Bilmez said the quake knocked down parts of a house in a village near Ozalp and damaged some homes in the town.

'œApart from that, we have no loss of lives,'ť he said.

Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. Turkey's worst quake in decades was in 1999, when a pair of strong earthquakes struck in the northwest, killing around 18,000 people.