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Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu said on Sunday that seven people including three children were killed in eastern Turkey after a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Iran, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The minister later added that another person has died.
Health minister Fahrettin Koca said that at least 21 people have been injured, including eight who are in critical condition.
The effects of the quake hit four villages in the Van province.
He added that the quake caused 1,066 buildings to collapse while the education ministry said a number of schools were damaged.
“No one remains trapped under fallen buildings,” said Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez.
The health minister said 25 ambulances, a medical helicopter and 13 emergency teams have been sent to the region. The Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said 144 tents for families have been dispatched.
The epi-centre of the quake, which struck at 9:23 am, was near the Iranian village of Habash-e Olya, less than 10 kilometres (six miles) from the border, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The province was struck earlier this month by two avalanches that resulted in the deaths of 41 people.
Meanwhile, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that the earthquake affected 43 villages in the mountainous Qotour area. The report further said that some residents were injured but did not mention their condition.