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Turkish quake death toll rises to 38: Mayor
The death toll in a powerful earthquake which shook eastern Turkey early on Monday has risen to 38 people, Kovancilar Mayor Bekir Yanilmaz was quoted as saying by television channels.
The death toll in a powerful earthquake which shook eastern Turkey early on Monday has risen to 38 people, Kovancilar Mayor Bekir Yanilmaz was quoted as saying by television channels.
The Disaster and Emergency Adminstration said the official toll stood at 20, with 60 people injured, in a quake with a magnitude of 6.0 which struck at 4:32 am local time (0232 GMT) centred at Basyurt in Elazig province.
Gov Muammer Erol said the victims were from the small village of Okcular, where the earthquake knocked down houses. CNN-Turk television said rescue teams dispatched to the area were working to save six people trapped under rubble.
At least four of the victims were children, according to the private Dogan news agency.
The quake was felt in neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir where residents fled to the streets in panic and spent the night outdoors.
Elazig is some 550 kilometers (340 miles) east of Ankara, the capital.
Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the North Anatolian fault. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
