<p><strong>The village of Okcular lies in shambles on March 8, 2010, hours after an <a id="kq47" title="earthquake" href="http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/natural-disasters/earthquake-profile.html?nav=A-Z">earthquake</a> in <a id="ofdx" title="Turkey" href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/turkey-guide/">Turkey</a> shook a remotely populated area of the country, killing at least 51. </strong><br><br>The magnitude 5.9 temblor hit Elazig Province (see <a id="jdtm" title="map." href="http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/maps/map-machine#s=r&amp;c=38.65119833229951, 38.73779296875&amp;z=5">map</a>) in the predawn hours, destroying stone and mud-brick houses and minarets in at least six villages, according to the Associated Press.<br><br>Though the Turkey earthquake closely follows deadly temblors in Haiti (see <a id="b53_" title="pictures" href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2010/01/photogalleries/100113-haiti-earthquake-pictures/">Haiti earthquake pictures</a>) and Chile (see <a id="biad" title="pictures" href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/02/photogalleries/100227-chile-earthquake-2010-hawaii-tsunami-warning-pictures/">Chile earthquake pictures</a>), the three seismic events are too distant geographically to be related, seismologist Bernard Doft, of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in Utrecht, told AP.</p>

Village Destroyed by Turkey Earthquake

The village of Okcular lies in shambles on March 8, 2010, hours after an earthquake in Turkey shook a remotely populated area of the country, killing at least 51.

The magnitude 5.9 temblor hit Elazig Province (see map) in the predawn hours, destroying stone and mud-brick houses and minarets in at least six villages, according to the Associated Press.

Though the Turkey earthquake closely follows deadly temblors in Haiti (see Haiti earthquake pictures) and Chile (see Chile earthquake pictures), the three seismic events are too distant geographically to be related, seismologist Bernard Doft, of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in Utrecht, told AP.

Photograph from AFP/Getty Images

Turkey Earthquake Pictures: The Day After

A strong earthquake rattled eastern Turkey Sunday, killing at least 51 and crumbling minarets, barns, and flimsily built mud-brick houses.

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