The death toll of the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that hit Turkey continues to rise: at least 14 people have died, dozens were injured and several trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAT), the quake was felt at 20.55 local time, at a depth of 6,7 kilometers near the city of Sivrice, in the eastern province of Elazig.
Elazig is located about 750 kilometers east of the capital, Ankara. Governor Cetin Oktay Kaldirim told NTV television that three people have died in the province. The state news agency Anadolu sued Governor Aydin Barus, saying that three other people died in nearby Malatya province. At least 45 people were injured here. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that "news is still awaited from the most distant villages", in an area where there is currently a quantity of snow that does not favor either movement or communication.
Mehmet Gulluoglu, head of Turkish civil protection, said teams of experts immediately got to work to assess the damage and any collapsed buildings. In the districts where the epicenter was recorded, "there are several buildings destroyed," said the Interior Minister of Ankara, Suleyman Soylu.