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Turkish officials and police work at the scene of a collapsed building in Elazig, eastern Turkey on January 24, 2020. Photo:Ilyas Akengin/AFP/Demiroren News Agency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 20 people have been killed and more than 1000 injured following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the Kurdish province of Elazig, Turkey on Friday night.
Latest figures from Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Solu have placed the death toll at 22, with 18 dead in Elazig and 4 in neighbouring Malatya province.
The earthquake struck at 20:55 local time, destroying at least thirty buildings across Elazig and Malatya, according to Environment Minister Murat Kurum.
Its epicenter, the provincial town of Sivrice is home to 4,000 people and is situated on the shores of Lake Hazar, one of the top tourist spots in the country. It lies 750 kilometers capital east of the capital Ankara.
Solu said approximately 30 people were trapped in destroyed buildings, the Associated Press reported.
The death toll skyrocketed throughout the night as authorities uncovered further destruction, with Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Authority saying more than 1,000 have been injured.
Tremors were felt nationwide and across the Caucasus, Syria, Iran and the Kurdistan Region- including Duhok and Erbil.
Multiple aftershocks forced people to spend the night in sports stadiums and conference halls.
“We stayed here [stadium] for a while then returned home. However, after feeling the aftershocks we had to come back here,” local resident Kursat Altik told state-owned Anadolu Agency.
Neighbouring Greece has offered Turkey assistance with rescue missions, AP reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the quake’s aftermath is being tended to by authorities to ensure “the least amount of loss,” with authorities closely monitoring the situation.
Turkey is no stranger to earthquakes and Kurdish areas have been particularly affected, with 600 killed and over 4,000 injured in a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Van province in 2011.
Thousands of buildings were damaged by the strong earthquake, leaving tens of thousands destitute.
Elazig province was also hit by a magnitude 6 quake in 2011, killing 51.
Previous warnings
A professor's warning back in October 2019 about a possible earthquake in Elazig has gone viral on social media.
Naci Gorur is a professor and expert in geology. He is from the province and reportedly a Kurd.
"I want to make a warning regarding Eastern Anatolia [Region]," said the expert during a program on CNN Turk on October 6, 2019, referring to the Kurdish-populated areas in eastern Turkey.
"The Eastern Anatolian fault has been silent for a long time. There has not been an earthquake since about 1,500 years. There have been major earthquakes [before]. There is serious risk for those regions: Elazig and Bingol ." he warned.
Bingol province is located east of Elazig.
With additional reporting by the Associated Press.
Updated at 12:13pm.
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