One dead in Turkish earthquake
ANKARA, Turkey -- At least one person is feared dead after an earthquake with a magnitude 6.5 shook the remote and mountainous region of Tunceli in eastern Turkey.
Aftershocks of 3.1 magnitude on the Richter scale were recorded in the surrounding area on Monday raising fears for the safety of residents in nearby villages.
Six people were injured after they panicked and jumped from windows, The Associated Press reported.
Local officials are calling for tents to be sent to the town of Pulumur and nearby provinces of Erzincan, Erzurum and Sivas as residents are afraid to return to their homes.
The epicentre of the earthquake was at Pulumur at 7.25 a.m. (0426 GMT), and recorded by the Istanbul-based Kandilli seismology centre.
A woman died when her home collapsed in the village of Saglamtas, near Pulumur, local official Ali Ada said.
Rescue efforts were being hampered by rocks falling on roads.
"I think there is great damage in the villages," Public Works Minister Zeki Ergezen told AP after flying from Ankara to Elazig, a regional centre. "Magnitude 6.5 is quite strong. The effects could be quite devastating."
But the region, about 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) east of the capital Ankara, is a mountainous area and thinly populated.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
