At least 57 people dead after magnitude-6 earthquake strikes eastern province in early hours of morning

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 struck eastern Turkey this morning, killing at least 57 people, an official said.

The quake occurred at 4.32am in Elazig province, while many people were asleep.

Stone or mud-brick homes and minarets of mosques were toppled in six villages and 57 people were killed, said the deputy prime minister, Cemil Cicek.

The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular, where some 17 people were killed and homes crumbled into piles of dirt. Another 13 people were killed in the village of Yukari Demirci.

The government's crisis centre said around 100 people were injured.

The epicentre was near the village of Basyurt, according to Istanbul's Kandilli observatory seismology centre. It recorded more than 20 aftershocks, the strongest of which measured 4.1.

CNN-Turk television said the dead included four young sisters trapped in the rubble. Rescue workers were trying to pull one other person out of the debris in Okcular village, it reported.

"Everything has been knocked down. There is not a stone in place," said Yadin Apaydin, administrator for the village of Yukari Kanatli, where he said three villagers had died.

The quake was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, where residents fled to the streets in panic and spent the night outdoors.

Some of the injuries occurred during the panic, when people jumped from windows or balconies. TV footage showed people bringing the injured to hospital by cars and taxis.

Map of Elazig in Turkey where the earthquake struck

Rescue workers and soldiers at Okcular lifted debris and Turkey's Red Crescent organisation began setting up tents in the region.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the North Anatolian fault. In 1999, two powerful quakes struck north-western Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.