The Philippine Online Chronicles

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Van province in Turkey on Sunday (Monday in the Philippines), one of the most powerful to hit the country in a decade, leaving at least 279 people dead, 1,300 people injured, and thousands of families homeless.

Van province and Ercis, a city near the Iranian border, have been severely damaged. Hundreds of multistorey buildings, mostly made of mud brick, have collapsed.

“As the rescue work prgresses, the death toll [in Ercis] will possibly increase,” said interior minister Idris Naim Sahin.

“There are still many trapped underneath; it may take us days of searching,” said Duncis Genger from Turkey's organization of professional medical volunteers and search-and-rescue team Ulusal Medikal Kurtarma Ekibi (UMKE)

Aftershocks

The Istanbul-based Kandili Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute recorded 213 aftershocks in the wake of the earthquake. Aftershocks with magnitudes 5.7 and 5.5 on the Ritcher scale were the strongest recorded by the agency.

Aside from that, 37 quakes were also felt and recorded in nearby areas like Agri, Bitlis, Igdir, Kars and Erzurum, with the strongest measuring in at magnitude 3.8.

The Turkish chapter of the humanitarian organization Red Crescent provided tents, field hospitals and kitchens for survivors left homeless after the earthquake.

However, the group received criticisms due to the insufficiency of the relief goods given to survivors.

“I didn't think the Red Crescent was successful enough in giving away tents. There is a problem on that matter,” said Huseyin Celik, deputy chairperson of the ruling AK party, in an interview with CNN Turk news channel. “I apologize for our people.”

“We were sent 25 tents for 150 homes. Everybody is waiting outside, we've got small children, we've got nothing left,” said Ahmet Arikes, head of Amik, a village outside Van also affected by the quake.

Self-support

The Turkish government refused help from other countries, like the US, UK, Israel and China, as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nations (UN), who offered aid after the earthquake.

“I extend my thanks to those presidents who called by phone and shard our sorrow, stated solidarity and offered assistance,” said President Abdullah Gul in a statement.