Turkish authorities end search after earthquake

The search has been called off for survivors of an earthquake that killed at least 45 people in a rural area of central Turkey…

The search has been called off for survivors of an earthquake that killed at least 45 people in a rural area of central Turkey.

Yesterday's quake injured at least 170 people and toppled 150 buildings. Hundreds of people spent the night in tents or vehicles despite the freezing temperatures.

"There are no more bodies and no survivors, so the rescue efforts have been called off," said a military official.

With dozens of aftershocks jolting the region, officials urged residents to stay away from damaged buildings.

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Many people in the epicentre, Sultandagi, a small town where many people work in the government-controlled poppy industry, preferred to brave the cold and sleep outdoors.

Soldiers pitched 1,000 canvas tents in Sultandagi, 125 miles south of the capital, Ankara. Aid workers set up a mobile kitchen to dish out food for the homeless and those not wanting to return home.

People in a main street lined with shops burned large truck tyres to keep warm in temperatures that dropped to minus 5 degrees Celsius. Many spent the night in their cars, parked away from buildings.

PA