Earthquake kills 35 in Turkey

Ankara, Jan 26 (Prensa Latina) The death toll from Friday night's earthquake that hit the Turkish city of Sivrice, east of the capital, has risen to 35, local authorities reported.

According to the latest figures provided by the country's vice president, Fuat Oktay, around 1,600 people have been injured by the 6.8 magnitude earthquake.

Rescue efforts continue in the mountainous region with a total of 45 people rescued, although the low temperatures make the work difficult.

In the hours following the disaster, nearly 600 aftershocks were felt in several eastern Turkish provinces and northern Syria.

Fears of another quake push many residents of the city, home to nearly 600,000 people, to spend the night in shelters.

The authorities are updating their assessment of the material damage, and so far 645 buildings have been partially damaged and 76 have collapsed.

There are 493 rescue teams from 28 Turkish provinces operating in the disaster area, as well as joint forces from several nations.