Earthquake in Turkey: Two days after an earthquake created havoc in Indonesia, a quake of 5.9 magnitude hit a town in northwest Turkey on Wednesday.
According to Turkey's government-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, the earthquake was centred in the town of Golkaya, in Duzce province, some 200 kilometres east of Istanbul. It further stated that the tremours were felt in Istanbul and in the capital Ankara.
Speaking to private NTV television, Duzce's mayor Faruk Ozlu said the quake sent people rushing out of buildings and cut power in the area.
He further said there was no immediate report of casualty or damage but authorities were still assessing possible destruction.
Turkey is prone to earthquakes
Notably, Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Duzce was hit by a powerful earthquake in 1999, which killed some 800 people.
Tsunami alert in Solomon Islands
Earlier on Tuesday, a Tsunami alert has been issued after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake's epicentre was in the ocean about 56 kilometres (35 miles) southwest of the capital, Honiara, at a depth of 13 kilometres (8 miles).
The Solomon Islands sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a arc along the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.
Indonesia devastated by the recent earthquake
Meanwhile, Indonesia is mourning life and property loss after 5.4 earthquake shook the main island of Java on November 21. Regional Governor Ridwan Kamil said 162 people were killed, over 700 injured, and more than 13,000 people displaced by the disaster, the BBC reported.
It should be mentioned here that earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which sits on the "ring of fire" area of tectonic activity in the Pacific, with a 2018 quake in Sulawesi leaving over 2,000 dead.
(With inputs from agencies)
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