Another strong earthquake, with preliminary magnitude of 6, shook six small villages in Turkey, killing 41 people and knocking down houses, Monday, March 8.

The villages near the Kovancilar town were among the affected areas. The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular where 17 persons were killed and a number of homes crumbled into piles of dirt.

According to reports, around 100 people were injured in the quake which occurred at around 4:32 a.m. in Elazig province. The earthquake caught many people in their sleep. The initial quake was followed by 30 more aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.5.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies on top of the North Anatolian fault. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.

In 2007, an earthquake measuring 5.7 damaged buildings in Elazig, briefly trapping a woman under debris. In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in the neighboring province of Bingol province, killing 83 children.

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