Dozens of people were killed in their homes when an earthquake hit villages in eastern Turkey.
It caught many as they slept, crumpling buildings into piles of rubble. Panicked survivors fled into the streets as more than 50 aftershocks rattled the region.
The 6.0 magnitude quake hit near the village of Basyurt in Elazig province, about 340 miles east of the capital Ankara. The government put the death toll at 51 with more than 30 other people injured.
The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular where 17 people were killed. As relatives rushed in for news of their loved ones, authorities blocked off the area so ambulances and rescue teams could manoeuvre on the village's narrow roads. Residents lit fires to keep warm.
"The village is totally flattened," village administrator Hasan Demirdag said.
Ali Riza Ferhat of Okcular said he was woken up by the jolt.
"I tried to get out of the door but it wouldn't open. I came out of the window and started helping my neighbours he said. "We removed six bodies."
Another 13 people were killed in the village of Yukari Demirci.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged residents not to enter any damaged homes, warning they could topple from aftershocks that could last for days. Mr Erdogan blamed the region's mud-brick buildings for the many deaths and said the government has instructed its housing agency to construct quake-proof homes in the area.
He said ambulance helicopters, prefabricated homes and mobile kitchens were being sent, and Turkey's Red Crescent aid group rushed in tents and blankets.
