Strong Quake Rocks Eastern Turkey, Nine Dead

[Eye and Monkey]

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-quake-turkey.html

By REUTERS
Published: March 26, 2004
Filed at 1:53 a.m. ET

ANKARA (Reuters) - An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale rocked an eastern region of Turkey overnight, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens more, the Public Works Ministry said Friday.

At least four children were among the dead, the state Anatolian news agency reported. CNN Turk television said houses in villages across three provinces and near the town of Erzurum suffered serious damage. The ministry said Askale county was the epicenter of the quake. As many as 51 aftershocks shook the region.

``The Red Crescent and military units are setting up tents for survivors... We will solve the accommodation problem as soon as possible,'' Health Minister Recep Akdag told Anatolian