Death toll in eastern Turkey quake rises to 596

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit eastern Turkey last week has risen to 596, the government's emergency unit said today.

More than 4,150 people were injured in the 7.2-magnitude quake that shook the eastern Van province near the Iranian border a week ago on Oct. 23, the unit said in a statement on its website.

Some 231 people had been pulled out alive from the rubble, Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay said yesterday when announcing the previous toll of 582.

The town of Erciş had taken the brunt of the damage from the quake, which is one of Turkey's strongest since 1999, when two strong earthquakes in the heavily populated northwest Turkey left some 20,000 dead.