Magnitude 5.1 earthquake strikes southeastern Turkey

ADIYAMAN, Turkey

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Samsat district in Turkey's southeastern Adiyaman province early Tuesday, injuring 39 people, according to a regional governor.

The Turkish Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the quake struck at 3.34 a.m. (0034 GMT) at a depth of 7 kilometers (4 miles).

Speaking at a news conference ahead of his visit to Spain’s capital Madrid on Tuesday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said no deaths had been reported so far in the district.

Health Minister Ahmet Demircan said a total of 39 people were injured in the quake, 35 out of whom were still under treatment.

None of them are facing the risk of death, Demircan added.

Earlier, Adiyaman Governor Nurullah Naci Kalkanci, who inspected damaged properties, told reporters that no one was badly hurt in the earthquake, but confirmed that there were reports of people suffering minor injuries while escaping the tremor.

Kalkanci said they would immediately distribute tents to those affected by the quake.

Samsat District Governor Sedat Sezik earlier told Anadolu Agency there were no immediate reports of major damage from the earthquake.

Sezik said earlier the earthquake was felt in nearby cities -- Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, and Diyarbakir -- while some buildings in surrounding villages and districts were damaged.

He added that search-and-rescue activities had begun in the province as AFAD teams reached the quake site.

According to AFAD, 43 aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 1.4 to 2.7 were experienced within first eight hours..

Public schools will remain closed Tuesday due to the earthquake, the district governor's office said.