A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck northwest Turkey during Wednesday's early hours, injuring at least 50 people.
The shallow tremor struck about 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of Istanbul, the country's largest city, where it was strongly felt.
National authorities said the quake was at a magnitude of 5.9 -- lower than the 6.1 given by the US Geological Survey -- and its epicentre was in Duzce province's Golyaka district, though it also shook other nearby cities.
"We were woken up with a big noise and tremor," Duzce resident Fatma Colak told AFP.
"We got out of our homes in panic and now we are waiting outside."
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who visited Golyaka, said one person was seriously hurt after jumping from a balcony out of panic.
Initial images showed people covered in blankets outside their homes during the early morning. Some were seen placing blankets on the floor outside, and lighting fires for warmth.
Authorities said schools would be closed on Wednesday in Duzce and Sakarya provinces.
Soylu said that, apart from a few ruined barns, there were no reports of heavy damage or building collapses, but inspections were continuing.
He said authorities would check 8,000 buildings for any damage.
National disaster agency AFAD said there were controlled blackouts in the Duzce region, urging residents not to panic.
It also reported that 101 aftershocks had been recorded.
Turkey is in one of the world's most active earthquake zones.
Duzce was one of the regions hit by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999 -- the worst to hit Turkey in decades.
That quake killed more than 17,000 people, including about 1,000 in Istanbul.
Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread building without safety precautions.
A magnitude-6.8 quake hit Elazig in January 2020, killing more than 40 people.
Unfortunately the Northern side of Turkey has become increasingly active seismically and is a hot spot between Georgia to East and activities happening in the Alboran Sea to West.
it's a subduction Zone, countries attached to the Southern side of the Eurasian plate in this area are due to disappear under the African plate as it continues to head North.
I have a wind chime that I use as an earthquake alarm. I aheard the wind chime and a slow movement of my bed. I woke up at the end of the quake and I got up and turned on the TV. The quake has started at 4:08 am local time and lasted for 59 seconds. The quake was a shallow one at 10.6 km deep.
Plus, can I buy that wind chime from you or do you know somebody making wind chimes of this nature.
I'm interested. My price will be fair.
Now, with that said, assuming this quake occurred recently, I suspect I could deduce your location already. Still, I'm curious - where do you live....a quake lasting 59 seconds is pretty long in general and while the earth was shaking was the wind chiming ringing gently or not?
The wind chime is probably made in China and was cheap. I'm sure you can find it where you live. Mine is in black and has writings on it. There is a circular piece at the top and has 4 long hollow parts hanging down, a smallar circular part in the middle of the long parts which makes the sound and a final part, lower than all the parts. If you google wind chimes you can see a similar one.
I live in İstanbul, Türkiye. And I was sleeping during most of the quake, I woke up almost as it was ending. We are waiting for an İstanbul quake in the Marmara sea.
A geology professor talked that night and he said the İstanbul quake will not happen until 2045.
it's a subduction Zone, countries attached to the Southern side of the Eurasian plate in this area are due to disappear under the African plate as it continues to head North.