~Major Earthquake Strikes Turkey

************************************************************

ANKARA, Turkey –  A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 struck eastern Turkey Sunday, collapsing buildings and causing a number of deaths, officials said. At least 50 people were injured.

The deputy prime minister says the earthquake in eastern Turkey has collapsed around 45 buildings.

Besir Atalay says the quake collapsed some 25-30 buildings as well as a dormitory in the eastern town of Ercis in Van province. He says 10 buildings fell in the city of Van.

The temblor struck in an area near the Iranian border at 1:41 p.m. (6:41 a.m. ET), the U.S. Geological Survey said. It caused widespread panic throughout the province as well as neighboring cities. The quake's epicenter was in the village of Tabanli, near the city of Van.

"The quake was strongly felt in Van and neighboring towns, and caused damage and deaths based on initial assessments," the prime minister's office said.

The Turkish Red Crescent said the earthquake has collapsed 25 apartment buildings and one dormitory. Some buildings collapsed in downtown Van as well as the neighboring town of Ercis, officials said. Several strong aftershocks also were reported.

"There are so many dead. Several buildings have collapsed. There is too much destruction," Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis, told NTV television. "We need urgent aid. We need medics."

Please PRAY for the people of this country and our resident missionaries!