TEHRAN, Jan. 25 (MNA) – Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) announced on Saturday that it is ready to provide help to Turkey following the deadly earthquake that hit the eastern part of the country on Friday night.

The announcement was made in a phone conversation between IRCS Secretary General Mahmoudreza Peyravi and President of Turkey’s Red Crescent Kerem Kinik.

Peyravi extended condolences to the families of the victims and said that the body is ready to dispatch rescue teams and to quake-hit areas.

The death toll from Friday's powerful earthquake in eastern Turkey has risen to 22, the country's interior minister said on Saturday. "Four people died in Malatya's Doganyol [town] and 18 others in Elazig," said Suleyman Soylu at a news conference along with health minister and environment and urbanization minister in quake-hit Elazig province, Anadolu News Agency reported.

A total of 39 people were also rescued from the rubble of collapsed houses and buildings, Soylu added.

The 6.8-magnitude quake hit eastern Elazig province at 8.55 p.m. local time (1755GMT) on Friday, with its epicenter in Sivrice district, along with neighboring provinces and countries including Syria and Georgia.

MNA/ 4834502