150 Estimated to Have Been Killed in Turkish Earthquake

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 01, 2003

150 Estimated to Have Been Killed in Turkish Earthquake

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About 150 people were estimated to have been killed and 400 others injured in a strong quake which jolted eastern Bingol Province early Thursday morning, said Turkish Housing and Public Works Minister Zeki Ergezen.

The quake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale occurred at 03:27 local time (0127 GMT), said the Istanbul-based Bogazici University's Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute.

The strong tremor was also felt in some surrounding provinces in eastern Turkey.

"I talked to Bingol Hospital's Chief Doctor. There are 11 dead people and around 400 injured. Ten of them are seriously injured. Around 230 students are still under the debris in Celtiksuyu Boarding School. A total of 20 people died in Sancak Hamlet." Ergezen told reporters, adding that he feared the death toll couldrise dramatically.

When asked about the number of buildings that collapsed in the tremor, Ergezen said seven buildings were confirmed demolished in the tremor, adding: "Citizens who are trapped under those buildings could not be rescued so far."

He also noted that efforts were being made to send all kinds of aid to Bingol from surrounding provinces.

Meanwhile, the Anatolian News Agency reported that a total of 198 students were trapped under the debris of Celtiksuyu Boarding School's dormitory building, which houses primary school students and was totally destroyed in the devastating quake.

A school official was quoted as saying that 35 students escaped from the building immediately after the quake, and 20 others were rescued by the citizens who rushed to the dormitory after the tremor.

Cries of the students could be heard under the debris. It was reported that five students had been pulled out from the rubbles in the past hour, while more than 100 others were still buried under the debris.

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