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Turkey quake takes heavy toll, officials say
© AFP/ ABDURRAHMAN ANTAKYALI / 16:37 23/10/2011
ANKARA, October 23 (RIA Novosti)
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that on Sunday rocked
southeastern Turkey may reach up to 1,000 people, the country's
Kandilli Observatory said.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the city at 13:40 local time
(10:40 a.m. GMT), the U.S. Geological Survey said. Its epicenter was
located at a depth of 20 kilometers.
`We are estimating a death toll between 500 and 1,000,' Mustafa Erdik,
head of the Kandilli Observatory, said at a news conference. The
seismological service's estimate is based on the strength of the quake
and the structure of the housing in the area.
The quake completely ruined 50 appartment buildings, including a
dormitory in Van as well as the neighboring town of Ercis. About 1,000
buildings have been crumbled.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay told reporters some 10
buildings had collapsed in Van and about 25-30 buildings collapsed in
the nearby district of Ercis.
Several strong aftershocks were also reported.
"There are so many dead. Several buildings have collapsed, there is
too much destruction," Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis told NTV
television, but did not specify the number of dead. "We need urgent
aid, we need medics."
Initial reports said resquers with humanitarian aid were unableto
reach Van, as the quake has crippled the city's airport, but later the
facility resumed operatins.
According to local media, more than 200 people have been treated for injuries.
Residents flocked into the streets as rescue workers struggled to
evacuate people, believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings,
television footage showed.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has headed to the
quake-stricken area, Turkish media reports.
Tremors were felt throughout eastern Turkey and as far away as
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. The US Geological Survey
estimated that more than 19.1 million people may have felt the
earthquake.
Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the earthquake
measured 3-5 in Armenia.
© AFP/ ABDURRAHMAN ANTAKYALI / 16:37 23/10/2011
ANKARA, October 23 (RIA Novosti)
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that on Sunday rocked
southeastern Turkey may reach up to 1,000 people, the country's
Kandilli Observatory said.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the city at 13:40 local time
(10:40 a.m. GMT), the U.S. Geological Survey said. Its epicenter was
located at a depth of 20 kilometers.
`We are estimating a death toll between 500 and 1,000,' Mustafa Erdik,
head of the Kandilli Observatory, said at a news conference. The
seismological service's estimate is based on the strength of the quake
and the structure of the housing in the area.
The quake completely ruined 50 appartment buildings, including a
dormitory in Van as well as the neighboring town of Ercis. About 1,000
buildings have been crumbled.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay told reporters some 10
buildings had collapsed in Van and about 25-30 buildings collapsed in
the nearby district of Ercis.
Several strong aftershocks were also reported.
"There are so many dead. Several buildings have collapsed, there is
too much destruction," Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis told NTV
television, but did not specify the number of dead. "We need urgent
aid, we need medics."
Initial reports said resquers with humanitarian aid were unableto
reach Van, as the quake has crippled the city's airport, but later the
facility resumed operatins.
According to local media, more than 200 people have been treated for injuries.
Residents flocked into the streets as rescue workers struggled to
evacuate people, believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings,
television footage showed.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has headed to the
quake-stricken area, Turkish media reports.
Tremors were felt throughout eastern Turkey and as far away as
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. The US Geological Survey
estimated that more than 19.1 million people may have felt the
earthquake.
Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the earthquake
measured 3-5 in Armenia.