6.0 Magnitude Earthquake hits eastern Turkey; at least 57 dead (Pictures Photos Videos Maps)

ANKARA, Turkey – A strong earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6, hit eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 57 people and knocking down houses in at least six small villages, an official said.

The temblor struck six villages in Elazig province, toppling stone or mud-brick homes and minarets of mosques. Bekir Yanilmaz, the mayor of the nearby town of Kovancilar, provided CNN-Turk television with the death toll. The government's crisis center put the number at 51.

The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular where some 17 people were reported killed and homes crumbled into piles of dirt. Another 13 people were killed in the village of Yukari Demirci, Gov. Muammer Erol said.

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Turkey Earthquake