A 5.2 magnitude tremor shook the eastern Turkish province of Van overnight without causing damage or casualties in an area already ravaged by two deadly earthquakes, media said on Tuesday.
The tremor at about 10.30pm GMT panicked residents of the region, many of them still living in tent camps since an October 23 earthquake killed more than 600 people, according to CNN-Turk TV.
Two animal barns collapsed and dozens of cattle were killed in Monday night’s tremor, according to private news channel NTV.
The deadly October tremor was followed last week by a 5.6 magnitude quake that killed another 40 people.
Since the disaster, tens of thousands of people have left Van, a major city in the mainly Kurdish region with a population of 400 000, media reports said.
“Ghost Town,” headlined mass-circulation daily Milliyet, adding that most families fled to nearby provinces or to western cities to stay with relatives.
“Markets, restaurants, offices are closed. Only a few cars can be seen on roads. It is a matter of chance to find a porter to carry your goods from toppled buildings or one bus to get you out of the city,” the daily reported. — AFP