Magnitude-4.2 earthquake jolts Istanbul

By Handan Kazanci

ISTANBUL (AA) - A magnitude-4.2 earthquake was felt in Turkey's largest city Istanbul on Thursday, said the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

AFAD said the quake occurred at 4.38 p.m. local time (1338GMT) and was centered in the northwestern Tekirdag province, neighboring Istanbul.

Its epicenter was 6.83 kilometers (4.23 miles) below the surface.

No casualties have been reported so far.

In 1999, a magnitude-7.4 tremor hit the industrial province of Kocaeli to Istanbul's east, leaving over 18,000 people dead.