A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, sending people into the streets in panic and slightly damaging some buildings.

The epicenter of the quake was the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.
The quake caused great panic and slightly damaged a primary school as well as a post office, said Huseyin Saydam, the head of the local branch of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Sivrice.