An earthquake with a 7.2 magnitude hit eastern Turkey at about 13.40 local time this afternoon (Sunday), resulting in many fatalities and injuries.

The epicentre was approximately 12 miles from the city of Van.  Roads are blocked, making it difficult for rescuers to reach the scene.

In fact there were several earthquakes in that part of Turkey this afternoon, some of them registering 5.6 on the Richter scale.

Earthquakes are common in some areas of Turkey, but very infrequent here in Kalkan. 

The main problems arise on the northern edge of this Anatolian tectonic plate, also known as the North Anatolian Fault Line.  This forms an arc from the Sea of Marmara, in north-west Turkey, down to Lake Van in the south-east of the country, where today's earthquakes occurred. 

This fault line is where all the major quakes have taken place in Turkey, including the 1999 quake close to Istanbul, which claimed over 18,000 lives.

You can read more on today's events, by clicking on the following links:

Todays Zaman         CNN Türk         BBC News online