Village Of Okcular Destroyed - 57 Dead

Monday's quake in Turkey had a 6.0 magnitude. On average, there are 134 earthquakes a year that have a magnitude between a 6.0 and 6.9. This year is off to a fast start with 40 so far — more than in most years for that period of time.

Women search for family members trapped in the debris of a destroyed house in Okcular village in the eastern province of Elazig, Turkey, Monday, March 8, 2010, hours after a strong earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6, hit eastern Turkey early Monday, killing scores of 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 homes crumbled into piles of dirt.

People walk in the debris of houses destroyed in an earthquake, in Okcular village in the eastern province of Elazig, Turkey, Monday, March 8, 2010. A strong, pre-dawn earthquake knocked down stone and mud-brick houses, barns and minarets in eastern Turkey on Monday, killing scores of people in five villages, the government said.