A total of 200 prisoners escaped from a prison in Turkey's southeastern province of Van after a 7.2- magnitude earthquake jolted the area on Sunday, Turkish news channel NTV reported.

NTV quoted the prison's authorities as saying that 50 of the escaping prisoners have returned.

The earthquake hit the province of Van Sunday afternoon. The Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute originally reported that the earthquake was 6.6 on the Richter scale, but later corrected it to 7.2.

At least 85 bodies have been found in the quake-hit areas, Turkish private news agency Dogan reported.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet