Quake Shakes Central Turkey

An earthquake rocked central Turkey on Friday, starting a fire that killed five people. Dozens were injured when they threw themselves from windows and balconies in panic, officials said. The quake toppled a spire on a mosque, sparking the blaze that claimed five lives in the village of Yasarlar in Konya province, provincial Gov. Ahmet Kayhan said. The mosque was packed with men gathered for evening prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and it was not clear if there were injured. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.8, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory and the U.S. Geological Survey said. Quakes of that strength can cause considerable damage in populated areas. The temblor was centered between the towns of Ilgin and Bolvadin in Afyon province, 160 miles southwest of Ankara. The quake badly frightened residents, who recalled earthquakes that devastated northwestern Turkey a year ago, killing 18,000 people, AP reports.