Our (Viewers Corner News) correspondent in Istanbul reported that the 6.8 magnitude earthquake which struck the town of Sivrice in Elazig province (eastern Turkey) has killed about 31 people and over 1,600 others were wounded. The earthquake caused buildings to collapsed and many residents rushed into the street. According to the report, rescue teams rushed to the affected areas, they worked through the night using their hands, drills and diggers to find people in the rubble of fallen buildings. Over 45 people have been rescued, including an elderly woman who was pulled alive from the rubble about 19 hours after the earthquake. More than 20 people were still trapped. A 12-year-old boy that was rescued from the wreckage, died later in the hospital. Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Syria, Lebanon and Iran. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (Afad) stated that over 400 aftershocks were recorded. Most of the casualties were in Elazig and Malatya Provinces. Turkey has a history of earthquakes, over 17,000 people were killed in 1999 when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the western city of Izmit.
Source: Viewers Corner News.