Magnitude 6 earthquake shakes eastern Turkey; at least 38 reported dead

Earthquake shakes eastern Turkey; 38 dead

ANKARA, Turkey — An official says the death toll in the strong earthquake that hit eastern Turkey has reached 38.

Bekir Yanilmaz, the mayor of the nearby town of Kovancilar says 38 people have died in three villages in Elazig province.

The quake struck Elazig at 4:32 a.m. (0232 GMT) Monday and was centered near the village of Basyurt, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory. It was followed by some 20 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 4.1.

The quake was felt in neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir where residents fled to the streets in panic and spent the night outdoors.