Turkey quake kills 18

A moderate earthquake in eastern Turkey destroyed houses, killing 18 people and injuring 21 more today.

The earthquake, which struck around 1am (10 pm last night Irish time ) caused heavy damage in several villages in Dogubeyazit province, near the Iranian border.

Most of the deaths occurred in the village of Yigincal, where widespread damage was reported, Turkish TV reported.

Officials said rescue efforts had been completed and the death toll was not expected to rise.

The magnitude of the quake was about 5.0.

Quakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active faults. Two massive earthquakes hit north-western Turkey in 1999, killing about 18,000 people.