Series of earthquakes shake western Turkey

A series of earthquakes shook Turkey's Aegean region on Monday, according to the country's disaster agency.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on its website that the first quake occurred at 8.46 a.m. local time (0546 GMT) off the Karaburun district of Izmir, the country's third-largest city. The magnitude 5.1 quake occurred at a depth of 20.69 kilometers (12.85 miles).

Only a minute later, a magnitude 4.8 quake hit the region at a depth of 7 km (4.3 mi).

Provincial teams have launched inspections in the aftermath of the tremors, though no damage or casualties have yet been reported, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said on Twitter.

At 11.35 a.m. local time (0835 GMT), another tremor with a magnitude of 5.1 struck the same region at a depth of 3.42 km (2.12 mi), according to AFAD.

The region has continued to be hit by tremors during the day, with the latest one reported at 4.10 p.m. local time (1310 GMT). A magnitude 4.7 quake was 6.9 km (4.2 mi) deep, according to AFAD.

Many aftershocks were also recorded following the tremors.

Turkey is among the world's most seismically active zones. Last October, a powerful earthquake with magnitude 6.6 hit Izmir, killing at least 116 people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

*Writing by Sena Guler