Hundreds Feared Dead in Turkey Quake

An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude rocked eastern Turkey Sunday, the strongest to hit the country in years.

"500 to 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the quake," Professor Mustafa Erdik, director of the Kandilli seismological institute in Istanbul, told a news conference.

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Earlier reports did not speak of casualties but many were feared trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings and officials warned they were struggling to assess the extent of the damage.

At least 50 people were taken to a hospital in Van, where aftershocks struck the large eastern city, Anatolia news agency said.

"There is serious human and material loss," said a brief statement from the the national disaster body which is based in the prime minister's office.

"Many multi-floor buildings, hotels and a dormitory were collapsed," said Veysel Keser, a local official from Van.

"We can hear voices from the collapsed buildings," he said.

Television footage showed collapsed buildings and vehicles, with residents rushing in panic in the streets.

"People are panicked. The telecommunication services have collapsed. We cannot reach anybody," Van Mayor Bekir Kaya told the NTV television in an initial assessment.

The government is due to send satellite phones to the region, according to media reports. The army will also send search and rescue teams to the area.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.2 magnitude and said that an aftershock of 5.6 magnitude had also been registered.

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^{Image credit: DNews/USGS/Google Maps}