Turkey earthquake death toll rises to 18

SANAA, Jan. 25 (YPA) – At least 18 people were killed and 553 injured in a major earthquake hit the eastern provinces of Malatya and Elazig, Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Saturday.

“In the State of Elazig, 13 people were killed and in Malatya five people were killed,”  he said in a briefing.

A total of 553 people had been taken to hospitals or sought medical assistance.

On Friday evening, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit eastern Turkey and several areas of Syria

It caused panic among residents in Elazig, where the earthquake occurred in the eastern Turkish city, before being followed by a relatively strong 5.4-magnitude aftershock.

About 500 rescue teams from 28 Turkish provinces are involved in search and rescue operations.

E.M