More than 280 people were confirmed killed and hundreds more feared dead today, Oct. 24 after an earthquake hit parts of southeast Turkey. Rescue teams are working relentlessly to free survivors crying out for help from under rubble.
Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin said the 7.2 magnitude quake on Sunday, Oct.23 killed 100 in the city of Van and 117 in the badly hit town of Ercis, 60 miles further north. The death toll is expected to rise. But as of this posting several children had been found alive are were being pulled from the ruins.
The issue to watch for now are aftershocks which can be as devastating as the actual earthquake.
Perspective:
The tragic 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake, with an epicentre 16 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. But at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. Consequently, an estimated three million people were affected by the quake and the Haitian government reported that an estimated 316,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless. The Haitian government also reported hat 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
