Quake of 6 magnitude strikes Turkey

There was some damage to buildings in the villages of Otcular and Yukari Kanatli in Kovancilar district of Elazig province, broadcaster CNN Turk said, but gave now further details.

There were no other reports of injuries or damage.

Panicked residents rushed out of their houses onto the streets when the quake hit and many have stayed outside fearing aftershocks, said a Reuters witness in the town of Tunceli, some 40 miles (64 km) from the epicentre of the quake.

Police said they were investigating, but they had no information yet on any casualties.

Turkey's Kandilli earthquake observatory said the quake measured 6.0 magnitude and had its epicentre at Basyurt-Karakocan and struck at 4:32 am local time (2:32 a.m. British time).

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 5.9 magnitude and said it had a shallow depth of 6.2 miles.

Quakes of magnitude 6 and higher are capable of causing severe damage.

"There was a lot of fear and panic among the people. It lasted about a minute. We felt it very strongly and everyone tried to get out onto the street," Nursel Sengezer, a Dogan News Agency correspondent in Karakocan, told broadcaster CNN Turk.

Turkey is criss-crossed with fault lines and frequently suffers earthquakes. A large earthquake measuring 7.4 killed some 18,000 people in August 1999.

(Reporting by Daren Butler; Writing by Jon Hemming)