A huge turnout is being reported from Tunisia's election, the first free vote in the Arab world since the start of the spring uprisings. Some polling stations had to remain open after the official closing time to allow people still queuing to cast their votes. The poll was for an assembly to draft a new constitution. Pascale Harter reports from Tunis.

Well after dark, right up until the moment the polling stations closed their doors, Tunisians were still arriving to vote in the capital. Many left holding up an ink-stained finger as proof they'd done what they proudly called their democratic duty. Some smiled, but others cried after casting what was the first vote of their lifetime, one they could be confident would actually be counted. The European Union observer mission praised the huge effort involved in building a completely new election process

from scratch

.

Many people have been killed in an earthquake in eastern Turkey. The authorities are quoted as saying more than 70 people are confirmed dead, but they fear the figure could rise to hundreds. An International Red Crescent spokesman, Joe Lowry, says a large disaster appears to be unfolding.

"Turkish Red Crescent is mounting a massive relief operation. They've already got 1,000 tents, 5,000 blankets, food, stoves and water on the way there. I think that's coming from local stocks and more would be arriving from Ankara and Istanbul. But it does seem sort of a large earthquake in terms of magnitude and effect."