Fire has broken out in central Elazığ; the blaze, which tore through an apartment building, was reportedly caused by a natural gas leak, with the pipe being damaged by the deadly earthquake.
Fire brigades are on the scene at this point.
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 has reportedly shaken the country's east.
The earthquake struck Friday at 1755 GMT, 8:55 p.m. local time, near the town of Sivrice in eastern Elazig province, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said there were no reports deaths in Sivrice or other affected areas. However, 4-5 buildings collapsed in Sivrice, where two people were hurt, he said. Soylu was at a meeting on earthquake preparedness when the quake struck.
The Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said the quake measured 6.5.
The U.S. Geological Survey gave the preliminary magnitude as 6.7, with the quake affecting not only Turkey but also Syria, Georgia and Armenia.
LATEST â Fire breaks out in central ElazıÄ; blaze reportedly caused by natural gas leakage due to earthquakehttps://t.co/XKFaVlfiRR pic.twitter.com/qXLE255v9A
— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) January 24, 2020
