ANKARA, October 16. /TASS/. A magnitude 6.1 earthquake has been recorded in eastern Turkey, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center reported.

According to the organization, the quake struck 47 kilometers east of the city of Malatya which has a population of some 441,000. The epicenter was at a depth of nine kilometers.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), in turn, reported that a magnitude 5.9 earthquake had been felt in three provinces of the country. According to the agency, the epicenter was located in the Malatya Province’s Kale municipality. The quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir and Elazig.

The quake struck at 10:46 a.m. local time (7:46 a.m. GMT), causing panic among local residents who ran into the streets. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that AFAD experts and local personnel had started to assess the consequences of the quake. There have so far been no reports of casualties or damage.