6.0 Earthquake - Western Turkey

[aurora]

-http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0003j4a.php

An earthquake at 11:16 pm local time happened in Kutahya, in western Turkey. It was felt widely in Istanbul. I could not open the national earthquake website, I guess it is overloaded. You can check the details from the above link. It lasted for about 5 to 6 seconds. I was brushing my teeth, then the ground shook but I thought I was feeling dizzy. Then I heard my wind chime sounding which I use for earthquake alarm. Also the keys on my door were swinging.

 

[Aya]

It seems like many people have got injured. (2 killed, 79 injured)

An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 5.9on the open-ended Richter scale hit northwest Turkey late Thursday. A citizen panicked and died after jumping from the window, Kutahya Governor Kenan Ciftci told broadcaster NTV. Turkish television channels reported residents of the quake-hit region panicked, rushing out into the streets, and telephone lines were jammed making it difficult to contact the area for more information. A 5.9-magnitude quake could be expected to cause damage in Turkey due to substandard home construction

When the earth is shaking, better not to rush into things or hiding underneath something. It's better to find a place or object that's stable and sit beside it.

 

[aurora]

Well, we have learned a lot from the strong quake on 17th of August, 1999. That earthquake has really left a scar on my psychology. I thought I was not afraid last night but I lost my sleep for a couple of hours. Today I read the website of a Turkish geology professor. After giving explanations about this earthquake, he says that yesterday there was a full moon. There were about 500 aftershocks bigger than 2 on the Richter scale. This particular faultline has the capacity of generating over 7 magnitude earthquakes every 25 or 50 years. Some other professor told today that some of these aftershocks were not aftershocks but other earthquakes in the region. Actually every day I check the latest earthquakes in Turkey and there was growing activity in western Turkey. I expected an earthquake of about 5 to take place. Actually all of Turkey is shaking like a cradle.