Turkey earthquake: Search for survivors continue

Some survivors of the earthquake

Turkey earthquake: Search for survivors continue

Rescue teams on Monday, are continuing their search for people trapped under rubbles, after a strong earthquake hit Turkey's eastern Van region.

The earthquake struck at 13:41 (10:41 GMT) on Sunday, at a depth of 20 kilometer (12 miles), with its epicentre 16 kilometer north-east of Van in eastern Turkey.

It was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, also centred north of Van, including two of magnitude 5.6 soon after the quake and one of 6.0.

More than 200 people have died and 1,000 injured in the 7.2 magnitude quake, many of them in the town of Ercis, where dozens of buildings fell.

Tens of thousands have been sleeping outside in freezing conditions as experts expect the death toll to rise.

Turkey is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on major geological fault lines.

Ministerial visit

Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been visiting the affected area by helicopter.

He said that villages close to Van were the worst affected as most buildings there were made of clay bricks.

The prime minister thanked other countries for their offers of help but said Turkey could cope with the disaster on its own.

Up to 80 buildings, including a dormitory, collapsed in the town of Ercis, about 60km north of Van, while 10 fell in Van itself.

Town mayor, Zulfikar Arapoglu, appealed for help, as survivors complained of a lack of heavy machinery to remove chunks of cement floors that had pancaked onto each other.

Serious damage and casualties were also reported in the district of Celebibag, near Ercis.
Local Mayor, Veysel Keser said: "There are many people under the rubble; we can hear their screams for help; we need urgent help".

Damages

The head of Turkey's seismology institute said hundreds of people could have been killed.

"We estimate around 1,000 buildings are damaged and our estimate is for hundreds of lives lost - it could be 500 or 1,000," said Mustafa Erdik of the Kandilli Observatory.

Turkish seismologist, Polat Gulkan, said that building regulations were often ignored in Turkey. According to him: "The enforcement of the code provisions is not at the standard that we would like to see it".

Aid teams

Residents of Van and Ercis have been spending the night huddled around camp fires in the open air, fearing more aftershocks.
Rescuers could be seen working by torchlight, using their bare hands and shovels.

The quake cut electricity and telephone lines and the authorities in some areas have cut gas to avoid the risk of fire.

Hakki Erskoy, from the Turkish Red Crescent, said aid teams from the north and east of Turkey were being sent to the earthquake-hit area.

He said camps were being set up to shelter people and blankets, and that food and water were being sent, along with mobile kitchens.

Military aircraft have been deployed to help with the rescue and relief efforts, Mr Erskoy told reporters.

BBC/Ehimen