Abbie Fentress Swanson, Culture Editor & Interactive Content Producer
Abbie Fentress Swanson covers arts and culture for WNYC and is the editor for WNYC's Culture Web site. Follow her on Twitter @dearabbie.
Earthquake Kills Dozens in Eastern Turkey
Monday, March 08, 2010
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A woman in front of her home in Elazig, Turkey (STR/AFP/Getty Images/Getty)
Officials in Turkey say more than 50 people are dead after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the eastern part of the country.
The Associated Press reports that nearly 80 aftershocks shook villages in the area. The earthquake hit just after 4:30 A.M. local time about 340 miles east of Ankara. Another 100 people were injured.
The AP reports that the worst-hit area was the village of Okcular. Seventeen people died there as their homes crumbled into piles of dirt.
Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey. Much of the country lies on the North Anatolian fault. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
NOTE SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST POSTED: This article has been updated to reflect that 50 aftershocks have been reported.
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