A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Elazig province at 2055 hrs local time (17:55 GMT).

According to Elazig Governor Cetin Oktay Kaldirim, three people died and 225 more were injured in the region. Malatya Governor Aydin Barus said that five people were killed and 90 more injured in his province.

"The death toll from the earthquake in the Malatya province increases to six, in Elazig to eight," the agency said.

About 500 rescue crews from 28 Turkish provinces are involved in the search and rescue operations.

Turkey is located in a seismically active zone and often suffers from powerful earthquakes. Two deadliest earthquakes in the country occurred in 115 AD and 526 AD. Both disasters devastated the city of Antioch, leaving some 260,000 and 250,000 people dead, respectively.