Earthquake kills at least 9 in Turkey, injures many in Iran

(FASTNEWS | Earthquake in Turkey & Iran) – At least nine people including three children are dead in eastern Turkey after an earthquake with its epicentre in neighbouring Iran.

At least 37 people were injured after houses collapsed, Turkey’s interior minister said.

The magnitude-5.7 quake centred on the Iranian border village of Habash-e Olya.

At least 75 were injured and houses damaged in 43 villages in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province.

The quake struck at 09:23 (05:53 GMT) in Iran and had a 6km (3.7 miles) depth.

Turkish media showed video of rescuers digging and families waiting outside in snowy conditions in Baskale, Van province.

“There were children under the debris. We thought we heard their voices.

“Then something happened. We didn’t understand what happened exactly and we pulled out three bodies,” a villager told Reuters news agency.

Governor of Van Mehmet Emin Bilmez said no more people were trapped under rubble.

Last month two avalanches in Van province killed at least 39 people including rescue workers, while in the provinces of Elazig and Malatya at least 31 people died and more than 1,600 injured in a powerful quake.

Around 1,066 buildings collapsed in Sunday’s quake, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.