Nine dead in Turkey as 5.7 earthquake strikes western Iran
Ankara: Nine people were killed in Turkey in a magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck western Iran early Sunday morning, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
The quake centered west of the Iranian city of Khoy and affected villages in the Turkish province of Van.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told a news conference that three children and four adults were killed in Turkey's Baskule district.
Koca later updated the number of fatalities to nine and wrote on Twitter that 37 people were injured, including nine in a critical but not life-threatening condition.
Emergency teams have been sent to the remote mountainous region.
Iran's official IRNA news agency said the earthquake affected 43 villages in the mountainous Qotour area.
It later added that at least 75 people had been injured, six of whom were hospitalised.
According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC), the quake, which happened at 9:22am local time (0552GMT), had a depth of 5 kilometers (3 miles).
The region has a history of powerful earthquakes.
Last month a quake centered on the eastern Turkish city of Elazig killed more than 40 people.
In 2011, more than 600 were killed when a quake struck north of Van province's capital.
Turkish broadcaster NTV showed images of locals and soldiers digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings as families fearing further tremors sat in snowy streets.
The EMSC reported several further quakes that measured up to magnitude 4.4.
The effects of the quake hit four villages in Van. Seven of the fatalities occurred in Ozpinar village, where Soylu said search and rescue teams had arrived.
He added that the quake caused 1,066 buildings to collapse while the Education Ministry said a number of schools were damaged.
Koca said 25 ambulances, a medical helicopter and 13 emergency teams had been sent to the region.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said 144 tents for families had been dispatched.
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Kantara mimicking case: HC extends interim relief given to actor Ranveer Singh till March 9
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court on Monday extended the interim relief given to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh till March 9, in a case related to mimicking a character from the movie, 'Kantara Chapter-1', and allegedly mocking a deity.
The actor had approached the High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR against him for mimicking Rishab Shetty's role as 'Chavunda' deity in the movie.
While mimicking, Singh had called the deity a "ghost". The actor was asked to appear before the court in person on Monday.
Appearing on behalf of the actor, his counsel Sajjan Poovayya said Singh was stuck in London and was unable to reach Bengaluru due to the conflict in West Asia.
The complainant, who is a lawyer, alleged that his religious sentiments were hurt by calling the deity a ghost. On the directions of a local Court, the police registered a case against the actor.
The High Court on February 24 granted interim relief to the actor with directions to the police not to take any coercive steps against him.
