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5.7 magnitude earthquake jolts eastern Turkey, leaving one person dead

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 shook Bingöl province in eastern Turkey on Sunday, leaving one person dead and 18 others injured, according to the Anadolu news agency.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said the epicenter of the quake was in the Karlıova district of Bingöl.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Twitter that one security guard was trapped under the rubble of a military observation tower, which collapsed in Karlıova, while two other people were slightly hurt. The security guard, who was pulled from the rubble, was later reported to be dead, according to a statement from the Bingöl Governor’s Office.

Turkey has a history of powerful earthquakes. On June 24, 41 people were killed when a 6.8 magnitude quake hit the eastern province of Elazığ.

More than 17,000 people were killed in August 1999 when a 7.6 magnitude quake struck the western city of İzmit, 90 kilometers (55 miles) southeast of İstanbul. About 500,000 people were made homeless.

In 2011 an earthquake struck the eastern city of Van and the town of Erciş, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the north, killing at least 523 people.

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