Twin earthquakes shake western Turkey

By Muhammed Boztepe

ANKARA (AA) - Twin earthquakes shook western Turkey on Monday morning off the country's Aegean Sea coast, according to the country's disaster agency.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on its website that the first quake occurred at 8.46 a.m. local time (0546 GMT) with a magnitude of 5.1 and a depth of 20.69 kilometers (12.85 miles) off Karaburun district of Izmir province.

Only a minute later, this time a 4.8-magnitude quake hit the region at a depth of 7 km (4.3 mi).

Turkey, geographically, is crossed by fault lines and prone to earthquakes. Last October, a powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the country's third-largest city, Izmir, killing at least 116 people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

*Writing by Sena Guler