Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits northwest Turkey, 68 injured

By MEHMET GUZEL and SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

DUZCE, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s disaster management agency says an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 has hit a northwestern town, triggering panic and causing damage to some buildings. At least 68 people were treated in hospitals mostly for injuries sustained while trying to flee homes. The quake early Wednesday was centered in the town of Golkaya, in Duzce province, some 125 miles east of Istanbul. It was felt in Istanbul and in the capital, Ankara. The quake sent people rushing out of buildings and cut power in the area. Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Duzce was hit by a powerful earthquake in 1999 that killed some 800 people.