ANKARA - Necessary studies are carried out to clarify attack on Van Governor Hikmet Tan, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.
Five people were killed in an explosion in eastern province of Van Friday morning. There was an explosion on a lorry containing bombs when Governor Hikmet Tan's vehicle was passing by on Van's Ordu Street. Governor Tan was unhurt but, five were killed and 23 were injured in the blast.
Tan's vehicle and surrounding workplaces were damaged in the explosion.
Speaking about the earthquake which hit Dogubayazit town of Eastern Agri province today, Erdogan said 18 people died and 20 others were injured.
Erdogan said several ministers left for the region, stating that necessary initiatives would be launched.
Ataturk University Seismology Center said that the quake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale was centered on Dogubayazit town and rocked the area around 1.31 a.m.
The tremor caused panic among citizens, while teams rushed into Yigincal, Sagliksuyu and Karabulak villages after preliminary reports of casualties.
In the meantime, people who were injured in the earthquake in Yigincal, Sagliksuyu and Karabulak villages were hospitalized in Dogubayazit and Igdir.
Two devastating earthquakes had rocked eastern Erzurum province on March 25th and 28th, killing 18 people in Askale town and its villages. These two earthquakes were measuring 5.1 and 5.3 on the Richter scale.
(AY-ULG) 02.07.2004