ANKARA, Turkey — An official says the death toll in the strong earthquake that hit eastern Turkey has reached 57. A mayor says 57 people have died in the quake that struck six villages in Elazig province. The quake struck Elazig at 4:32 a.m. (0232 GMT) and was centered near the village of Basyurt. It was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 5.5.

The quake was felt in the neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, where residents fled to the streets in panic and spent the night outdoors.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A strong earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6, hit eastern Turkey on Monday, killing at least 41 people and knocking down houses in at least six small villages, the government said.

The quake affected villages near the town of Kovancilar, toppling stone or mud-brick homes and minarets of mosques, officials and media reports said. The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular where some 17 people were reported killed and homes crumbled into piles of dirt.

MENYAYAT HATI

BERIBU-RIBU dikhuatiri terbunuh apabila gempa bumi kuat melanda Haiti, kelmarin.

Ramai mangsa yang terkorban dipercayai tertimbus di bawah runtuhan bangunan yang ranap dalam gempa sekuat 7 skala Richter itu.

Bencana gempa bumi ini merupakan yang paling buruk pernah melanda Haiti sejak lebih 200 tahun lalu. Keadaan bencana begitu mengerikan dengan mayat dan mereka yang cedera bergelimpangan di atas jalan raya.

Yayasan Amal Malaysia (AMAL Malaysia) telah bersedia jika di beri amanah untuk pergi membantu mangsa-mansa gempa bumi tersebut. Ruang sumbangan akan di buka jika pihak AMAL Malaysia ke Haiti kelak.

Herman-Dari Allah kita datang, kepada Allah kita kembali. Dunia ini punya nyawa dan ingatlah ketika bumi berkata ‘wahai manusia hari ini kamu bebas bergembira dan berjalan meneroka sana sini tubuhku. Bergembiralah kerana bila sampai masanya kamu akan masuk ke dalam perutku, bermakna sudah tiada jalan kembali untuk kamu menghidup udara dunia yang fana ini. Berimanlah pada Allah”