The number of victims of the earthquake that hit Eastern Turkey has grown, Minister of Internal Affairs Suleyman Soylu declared Friday, reports RIA Novosti.

Earlier, Head of the Emergency Situations and Natural Disasters Agency of Turkey Mehmet Gyulyuoglu had declared that a 6.8-magnitude earthquake took place in the vicinity of the city of Sivrije of Elazig Province at 8:55 p.m.

“The earthquake took the lives of four citizens of our country, including two citizens from Malatia and another two from Elazig,” Soylu told NTV.

The Turkish Agency for Emergency Situations and Natural Disasters reported that it has sent tents and warm blankets to the disaster zone.