ANKARA, Turkey — Officials say the death toll from a strong earthquake that rocked eastern Turkey is up to 29 as rescue teams continue searching the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors.
The country's health minister said Saturday that more than 1,200 people were injured in the Friday night quake centered near the town of Sivrice.
Various earthquake monitoring centers gave magnitudes ranging from 6.5 to 6.8. for the earthquake. Turkey's emergency preparedness agency says it was followed by 398 aftershocks.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the hardest-hit areas Saturday afternoon and attended the funeral of a mother and son killed in the quake. He warned people against repeating “negative” comments about the country being inadequately prepared for earthquakes.
