More than 20 people lost their lives in the 6.8 magnitude earthquake with epicenter in Sivrice, Elazığ. Reports speak of more than 1000 injured.

HDP sent a delegation

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) delegation went to Elazığ soon after the earthquake. In a written statement made by the HDP Press Office the delegation was described as made of co-chair Salim Kaplan, Legal and Human Rights Commission Spokesperson Ayşe Acar Başaran, Bingöl Deputy Erdal Aydemir, Muş Deputy Şevin Coşkun and Ergani Municipal co-chair Ahmet Kaya visited the city.

Number of dead may increase

"The number of dead may increase," said Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, adding that there are still people under the debris. 

People was warned to avoid getting into traffic with their private vehicles. It was emphasized that emergency rescue vehicles would have difficulty working if traffic increases and people were asked to use public transport.

Earthquake felt in Amed

The earthquake in Elazığ was also felt in Amed. People left their houses after the earthquake and spent the night in the parks with blankets they took with them.

In Ergani district a woman named Saliha Kurt and her 11-year-old child jumped from the balcony in panic during the earthquake. The injured mother and her child were hospitalized.
Sultani Sürer (80), who lived in Fırat District in Bismil district, lost her life after suffering a heart attack.

Poor response from the government

Professor Dr. Naci Görür, in a statement regarding the earthquake in Elazığ, said: "I gave conferences about Elazig's seismicity, made warnings, and prepare Elazığ and its villages for an earthquake. But unfortunately, not much has been done in terms of prevention."

Turkish government officials continue to manage the crisis poorly as usual.
Red Crescent President Kerem Kınık asked for money support from his Twitter account after the earthquake and then deleted the message.

CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu asked: "Where are the money?"
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez said about the earthquake: "It is not right to expect everything from the state. Our citizens should also be sensitive."

People rescued

It was reported that two more people were rescued from the debris, one in the center of Elazığ, and one in Gezin, a district of Maden. A person was rescued 12 hours after the earthquake by the teams searching through the collapsed building in the village of Gezin in the Maden district. The wounded was taken to the hospital by 112 Emergency Service teams.
It was learned that the person who was removed from the debris was a pregnant woman.
In Mustafa Pasha District, two people were rescued.

Government: 21 dead and 1030 injured

Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) stated that 4 buildings had collapsed in Elazığ city center.

In the statement, the number of dead was set at 21 and the number of injured at 1030.

The statement added: "Elazığ Airport is working normally. There was a short interruption in the communication network but the problem was resolved in a short time. There are no problems in the electricity and natural gas lines. The trains to the region were diverted to the nearest stations."
AFAD stated that it sent 143 of its personnel and 47 vehicles to the region.