Nine dead as quake rocks eastern Turkey

ANKARA: An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale rocked an eastern region of Turkey overnight, killing nine people and injuring dozens, the Public Works Ministry said on Friday.

Four children were among the dead, the state Anatolian news agency reported. CNN Turkey television said houses in villages across three provinces and near the town of Erzurum suffered serious damage. The ministry said Askale County was the epicentre of the quake. As many as 51 aftershocks shook the region.

“The Red Crescent and military units are setting up tents for survivors. We will solve the accommodation problem as soon as possible,” Health Minister Recep Akdag told Anatolia new agency. Turkey is criss-crossed with earthquake fault lines and poor construction of buildings has often led to an unnecessarily high death toll. In May 2003, at least 167 people including many schoolchildren were killed by a quake in the eastern province of Bingol. —Reuters

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