A powerful earthquake on Sunday morning has caused destruction in eastern Turkey, particularly hitting the cities of Ercis and Van. The surrounding villages have also been affected, with the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying that almost all mud-brick homes had collapsed.
The death toll is currently 217, but is expected to rise substantially. Rescue teams, assisted by soldiers, spent the night frantically digging through dozens of collapsed buildings in near-freezing temperatures. It is thought that about 40 buildings in Ercis still have people trapped beneath the rubble.
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