A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richter scale occurred in Agri province in eastern Turkey on Sunday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

"There were no immediate reports of any deaths according to first assessments," Agri Governor Halil Ibrahim Akpinar was quoted as saying.

Akpinar said that the epicenter of the quake was Tutak town near the borders with Armenia and Iran, adding "some houses were damaged in the quake according to the preliminary information."

Search and rescue teams were dispatched to the region after the quake, according to the official.

Meanwhile, an official of Tutak town said there were some cracks in houses in Tasbudak, Yukari Kosk and Cobanova villages.

A crisis center was established immediately after the quake and Civilian Defense Directorate Search and Rescue Teams left for the villages to make assessments, according to the report.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey. In August and November 1999, two violent temblors occurred in the heavily populated northwest of the country.

Source: Xinhua