ANKARA: A moderately strong earthquake struck northwest Turkey on Monday, sending people out into the streets in fear. There was no immediate report of injuries or damage.
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake was centered in the Sea of Marmara, off the town of Gemlik in Bursa province, according to the disaster management agency, AFAD. It struck at 10:42 a.m. local time (07:42 GMT), at a depth of some 9 kilometers (5.6 miles)
HaberTurk television said it was felt in Istanbul and other nearby regions where people left homes and offices in fear.
In February, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated 11 southern and southeastern Turkish provinces as well as part of northern Syria. More than 50,000 people were killed in Turkey.
Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes northwest Turkey
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Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes northwest Turkey
- No immediate injuries or damages were reported so far
Baghdad airport reopens after weather disruption
- A thick fog has blanketed the capital Baghdad and several areas in Iraq, drastically reducing visibility since the early morning hours
BAGHDAD: Baghdad International Airport reopened Thursday after a 12-hour halt due to bad weather, the transport ministry said.
Authorities announced at around 12:30 a.m. (2130 GMT) they had temporarily shut Baghdad airport to air traffic because of poor weather conditions and fog that drastically reduced visibility.
Other airports, Najaf in central Iraq and Sulaimaniyah in the northern Kurdistan region, were also closed.
The transport ministry said at midday Thursday the “airspace has been reopened” at Baghdad and Najaf airports, according to the official INA press agency.
Heavy rains over the past two days caused flooding in several areas in Iraq, particularly in the autonomous Kurdistan region.
Floods in the north killed at least three people, including a child, according to local authorities. A key bridge connecting the northern city of Kirkuk to Baghdad also collapsed.
Authorities hope the heavy rains will help alleviate water shortages in drought-stricken Iraq, after water reserves in artificial lakes hit their lowest levels in the country’s recent history following a dry season.
Iraq, heavily impacted by climate change, has been ravaged for years by drought and low rainfall.










