Sunday, Oct. 23 2011:
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey today. Media reports say that roughly 45 buildings collapsed, leaving more than 70 people dead. The cites Van and Ercis were hit particularly hard. A state-run television station announced that at least 59 people have been killed and over 150 were hurt in Ercis alone. According to the Associated Press, the last major earthquake hit Turkey in 1999, killing about 18,000 people.
According to ABC News, "The depth of the epicenter was considered shallow -- 12.4 miles, shallower than the earthquake that devastated Haiti in January 2010 -- and more potentially destructive, combined with the poor building codes in the region."
Details about the earthquake are still unfolding. ABC News is doing a tremendous job covering the earthquake with multimedia. The site features video and a photo slideshow to cover the devastation in Turkey.
Monday, Oct. 24, 2011:
Current reports show that 279 people were killed in the earthquake. Rescue cues rescued multiple survivors, including a 21-year-old woman who had been trapped for about 27 hours.
According the the Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin Sahin, 80 multi-story buildings collapsed in Ercis with people trapped in over half of them. The death toll continues to rise.
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey today. Media reports say that roughly 45 buildings collapsed, leaving more than 70 people dead. The cites Van and Ercis were hit particularly hard. A state-run television station announced that at least 59 people have been killed and over 150 were hurt in Ercis alone. According to the Associated Press, the last major earthquake hit Turkey in 1999, killing about 18,000 people.
According to ABC News, "The depth of the epicenter was considered shallow -- 12.4 miles, shallower than the earthquake that devastated Haiti in January 2010 -- and more potentially destructive, combined with the poor building codes in the region."
Details about the earthquake are still unfolding. ABC News is doing a tremendous job covering the earthquake with multimedia. The site features video and a photo slideshow to cover the devastation in Turkey.
Monday, Oct. 24, 2011:
Current reports show that 279 people were killed in the earthquake. Rescue cues rescued multiple survivors, including a 21-year-old woman who had been trapped for about 27 hours.
According the the Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin Sahin, 80 multi-story buildings collapsed in Ercis with people trapped in over half of them. The death toll continues to rise.