Ankara: At least 19 people were killed and over 900 injured after an earthquake of 6.5 magnitudes hit Turkey’s Eastern Elazig province, the country’s authorities said.
News Agency Anadolu reported, citing Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), that 922 were injured. Around 560 were injured in Elazig, 226 in Malatya, 37 in Kahramanmaras, 34 in Sanliurfa, 34 in Diyarbakir, 25 in Adiyaman, and six in Batman.
As many as 118 aftershocks of magnitude 2.7-5.4 have been registered, said AFAD.
“We have approximately 30 residents under the wreckage in Elazig,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced while expressing apprehensions that the death toll may rise.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that all relevant departments have taken measures to ensure the safety of the citizens.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had earlier held a telephonic conversation with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and offered his country’s assistance.