Powerful quake hits eastern Turkey, four dead

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 hit eastern Turkey on Friday, leaving at least four people dead and causing buildings to collapse.

The quake shook the Sivrice district in the eastern province of Elazig at around 8.55 pm (1755 GMT), the government's disaster and emergency management agency said.

The US Geological Survey assessed the quake's magnitude at 6.7, and said it struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (about six miles).

"It was very scary, furniture fell on top of us. We rushed outside," 47-year-old Melahat Can, who lives in the city of Elazig, told AFP.

"We will spend the coming days in a farmhouse outside the city," she said. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said four people had died.

"We are hoping we will not have more casualties," he was quoted as saying by the official Anadolu news agency.

"Sivrice was shaken very seriously, we have directed our rescue teams to the region," he told reporters, adding that there were reports of some collapsed buildings in the region.

The tremor was felt in several parts of eastern Turkey including Tunceli, the Turkish broadcaster NTV reported, adding that neighbouring cities had mobilised rescue teams for the quake area.

"We have sent four teams to the quake region," Recep Salci of Turkey's Search and Rescue Association (AKUT) told AFP. "We have news of collapsed buildings, and preparing more teams in case of need."