8th Mar 10
At least 41 dead in Turkey earthquake
by Adam Richards
A strong earthquake has hit Turkey with a preliminary magnitude of 6, killing at least 41 people and knocking down houses in at least six small villages.
The quake has affected villages near the town of Kovancilar, destroying stone and mud-brick houses and minarets of mosques, officials and media reports claimed. The worst-affected area was the village of Okcular where some 17 epople were reportedly killed and homes were turned into piles of dirt.
A government crisis center said that 100 people were injured in the quake which took place at 4:32am in Elazig province, about 550 kilometres east of Ankara, the capital.
It caught many in their sleep. It was centred near the village of Basyurt and was followed by over 30 aftershocks with the strongest measuring 5.5, according to the Kandilli seismology centre.
Administrator for the village of Yukari Kanatli, Yadin Apaydin, said that everything had been knocked down, and there was not a stone in place.
Local authorities have blocked access to Okcular village, to facilitate the entry and exit of ambulances and rescue teams on the village’s narrow roads. Relatives rushed to the village for news of their loved ones.
Administrator of Okcular village said that the town was totally flattened.
The quake was felt in other provinces in the vicinity, including Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir where residents fled to the streets in panic and spent the night outdoors.
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