Turkey: 6.8 Earthquake Kills at Least 14 in Elazig Province

At least 14 people were confirmed dead and hundreds injured after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey, officials say.

The tremor6.8 magnitude quake, centered on the town of Sivrice in Elazig province, caused buildings to collapse and sent residents rushing into the street.

The quake struck at about 20:55 local time, on January 24.

Tremors were also felt in neighboring Syria, Lebanon and Iran.

According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), there were 60 aftershocks recorded after the earthquake.

It said more than 400 rescue teams are heading towards the region, along with beds and tents for those displaced. It warned people not to return to damaged buildings in case of aftershocks.

The governor of Elazig said eight people had died in the province, while the governor of neighboring Malatya said six died there.

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TV pictures showed emergency services frantically searching collapsed buildings for survivors.

The region struck by the quake, some 340 mile) east of the capital Ankara, is remote and sparsely populated, so details of damage and fatalities could be slow to emerge.

Officials have sent beds, tents and blankets to the area, where overnight temperatures regularly fall below zero.

Sivrice, a town of about 4,000 people, is a popular tourist spot on the shore of Hazar lake, the source of the river Tigris.

Earthquakes are common in Turkey – about 17,000 people died in a massive quake in the western city of Izmit in 1999.