No Preliminary Reports Of Damage In Ankara After Earthquake

ANKARA - There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties after the earthquake that shook Turkish capital Ankara on Saturday.
A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 on the Richter scale jolted Turkish capital of Ankara. Kandilli Observatory & Earthquake Research Institute of Bogazici University said the epicenter of the earthquake that rocked the province at 12:15 p.m. was Bala town, a 45-minute drive from Ankara.
Ibrahim Gunduz, Mayor of Bala, said there were no immediate reports of damage and added that they received information from villages around the town on the phone.
"Nevertheless, we have sent our teams to villages," he told the AA.
On the other hand, Governor of Ankara Kemal Onal said they also have sent rescue teams to villages of Bala despite no reports of damage.
On December 20th, 2007, another moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 hit Bala town which was followed by another after a week with a magnitude of 4.8. There were no casualties but several buildings collapsed in some villages after the tremor.
(TÇ-BRC)