Earthquake of 5.1 magnitude hits Aegean Sea

ANKARA: An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude hit the Aegean Sea on Monday, Turkish media reported.

The quake struck at 0817 GMT, with its epicentre in the Aegean, the Anatolia news agency said, citing the Istanbul-based Kandilli seismological institute.

The tremor was also felt in Turkey's Aegean provinces of Izmir and Aydin, Anatolia said. There was no immediate report of casualties or damages.

Turkey is crossed by several fault lines.

A powerful quake shook eastern Turkey on October 23, killing more than 600 people. It was followed on November 12 by a 5.6 magnitude tremor that killed another 40 people in the same area.

In 1999, two strong quakes in heavily populated and industrialised parts of northwest Turkey left some 20,000 people dead.