Health Minister: 39 Injured, Major Damage in Turkey Earthquake

According to Turkey Health Minister, Ahmet Demircan, 39 people have been injured following an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale.

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The tremor, which struck after midnight Tuesday, damaged several structures in the Adiyaman province of central Turkey more than 500 kilometers southeast of the capital, state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing the minister.

Local and social media showed images of serious damage to numerous houses and reported schools have been ordered closed for the day.

Demircan said 35 people have been hospitalized.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, Reuters reported. The quake was followed by eight minor aftershocks, Anadolu said.

Turkey sits across major geographic fault lines. The country suffered a quake in 1999 which left more than 17,000 people dead.