RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service

Situation Update No. 7

Posted:2010-03-08, 04:11:16 [UTC]

Ref.no.: EQ-20100308-25238-TUR

Situation Update No. 7
On 2010-03-08 at 14:25:04 [UTC]

Event: Earthquake
Location: Turkey Province of Elazig Okcular village area

Number of Deads: 57 person(s)
Number of Injured: 60 person(s)

The death toll from a 6.0-magnitude earthquake that shook eastern Turkey on Monday reached 57. Fifty-seven people had been killed by the quake, which caused the most deaths in six villages around the epicenter in the Karakocan town of the eastern province of Elazig, the newspaper quoted Karakocan mayor as saying. The quake struck Basyurt region of Karakocan town at a depth of 5 km at 4:32 a.m. local time (0232 GMT), said the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of Turkey's Bogazici University. Tremors were also felt in neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, said Hurriyet Daily News. The institute has so far reported 27 aftershocks and more are expected over the next hours and days. The Turkish Red Crescent had sent 500 tents and foodstuff to the quake zone, while State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek and other senior officials had left the capital Ankara for Elazig. Elementary and secondary schools in the disaster area will be closed for two days. It quoted Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Situation Management Directorate as saying the magnitude of the quake was 5.8 on the Richter scale.