3-4 magnitude strong earthquakes continue hitting eastern Turkey, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center.

279 were reportedly killed and more than 1,000 people injured when a powerful earthquake struck Turkey on October 23, collapsing dozens of buildings and pulling down phone and power lines in the southeast of the country, officials and witnesses said. More than 1,000 people are feared killed in the earthquake. Another magnitude 6.1 earthquake, which was the second to rock the country in the past 24 hours, was registered about 20 km (12 miles) from the city of Van at the depth of some 10 km (6.2 miles).

Turkey rejected assistance of other countries, including Armenia, Russia and Israel.