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Several dead after earthquake in Turkey 0:42
(CNN) - At least 22 people died and hundreds were injured in eastern Turkey after the earthquake that shook the region on Friday night, according to authorities.
The 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Sivrice, in the eastern province of Elazig, and collapsed at least 10 buildings, said Turkish Interior Minister Sulyman Soylu.
Eighteen people died in Elazig province and four in Malatya, Soylu said at a press conference on Saturday.
About 39 people were removed from the rubble of the collapsed building during the night, he said, adding that 22 people remain trapped.
- LOOK: 6.7 magnitude quake shakes Turkey and leaves several dead
Some 1,243 people were injured after the powerful earthquake, most of them in Elazig province, according to a statement issued by the Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management of Turkey (AFAD).
A video from Turkey's IHA Broadcasting Services shows emergency teams rescuing injured people from a collapsed building.
The earthquake caused the collapse of five buildings in Elazig and serious damage to several buildings in the area, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum told reporters.
Teams conduct search operations for survivors of a collapsed building in the province of Malatya.
Preliminary reports say the earthquake lasted 40 seconds, according to AFAD, adding that 3,699 search and rescue people have been deployed.
Fifteen aftershocks have been felt, being the strongest record of mafnitude 5.4, Soylu said. The earthquake occurred at a relatively low depth of 10 km, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which increases the feeling of surface tremor.
Rescue teams and Turkish police work in a collapsed building after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Elazig on January 24, 2020.
Nearly 500,000 people felt the telluric movement strong or very strong, the USGS reported. The earthquake was felt in other countries such as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
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The earthquake interrupted a live broadcast of Edessa TV. The video of the transmission shows four presenters talking while everything trembles around them.
All ministries were taking steps to ensure the safety of citizens after the earthquake, said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan early Saturday. The Interior, Health and Environment ministers were sent to the area affected by the earthquake.
Isil Sariyuce and Yusuf Gezer reported from Istanbul. Sara Mazloumsaki and Hamdi Alkhshali reported from Atlanta and Amir Vera wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Taylor Ward contributed to this report.
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