2011 Van earthquake
Encyclopedia
The Van earthquake was a destructive magnitude 7.1 Mw
earthquake that struck eastern Turkey
near the city of Van
on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 13.41 local time. It occurred at a shallow depth of 20 km (12.4 mi), causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and lighter tremors across neighboring parts of the South Caucasus
and Levant
. According to Disasters and Emergency Situations Directorate of Turkey AFAD on October 30, the earthquake killed 604 and injured are 4,152. At least 11,232 buildings sustained damage in the region, 6,017 of which were found to be uninhabitable. The uninhabitable homes left as much as 8,321 households with an average household population of around 7.6 homeless in the province; this could mean that at least around 60,000 people were left homeless.
The other 5,215 have been damaged but are habitable.
7.2 (Mw) Eastern Highlands earthquake occurred inland on 23 October 2011 at 13.41 local time, centered about 16 km (9 mi) north-northeast of Van, Turkey and at an estimated focal depth
of 7.2km (4.5 mi). Its focal region and much of easternmost Turkey lie towards the southern boundary of the complex zone of continental collision
between the Arabian Plate
and the Eurasian Plate
, beyond the eastern extent of the Armenian and Asia Minor fault zones. Part of the convergence between these two plates takes place along the Bitlis-Zagros fold and thrust belt
. The earthquakes's focal mechanism
indicates oblique thrust fault
ing, consistent with the expected tectonics in the region of the Bitlis-Zagros Fault Zone, where thrust mechanisms dominate.
Due to its great intensity and shallow depth, the earthquake produced significant ground motions
across a large area. Violent shaking measuring MM IX on the Mercalli scale
occurred in Van, although widespread strong to severe (MM VI–VIII) shaking was observed in many smaller and less populated areas around the epicenter. Lighter but well-felt ground motions (MM V–III) spread much farther across the region, extending into surrounding countries such as Armenia
, Azerbaijan, Georgia
, Iran
, Iraq
, Israel
and Syria
.
The size of the rupture has been estimated as 60 km x 20 km, consistent with the observed distribution of aftershock
s, on a WSW-ENE orientated fault plane with a dip of about 35°. An offset of about 2 m has been estimated at 10–15 km depth but there is no visible rupture of the ground surface. The rupture lasted for about 50 seconds.
There has been 1561 aftershocks above magnitude 2 Mw as of October 30. The highest magnitude aftershock came at 11:45pm Local on October 23rd, with a MI 5.7 and Mw 6.0. The number of aftershocks reported in ranges as follows:
556 ranging from magnitude 2 to 3;
832 ranging from magnitude 3 to 4;
108 ranging from magnitude 4 to 5; and
7 ranging from magnitude 5 to 6.
, a town near Van, was hardest hit by the violent shaking; at least 55 destroyed buildings, 45 fatalities, and 156 injuries occurred in the town alone. Most of the buildings collapsed along the town's main road and were residential, raising the possibility of a higher death toll. In smaller villages near the epicenter, the shaking demolished almost all the brick houses.
In the city center of Van, at least 100 people were confirmed dead, and 970 buildings collapsed in and around the city. About 200 inmates escaped after the walls of a prison succumbed to the shaking, although 50 were quickly recaptured. The Van Ferit Melen Airport
was damaged, but contradictory reports were given: According to NTV, airplanes were diverted to the neighboring cities, while according to the Anatolia News Agency, the earthquake did not disrupt the air traffic. The natural gas, water, power, and communication systems in Van were all reported affected and in function again within 24 hours after the earthquake.
Twenty-four hours following the main shock the death toll stood at 264 but estimates were ranged up to a thousand. As of 25 October, rescue and aid efforts are still ongoing, as many as 40,000 people are believed to be homeless due to the considerable number of collapsed or damaged buildings. Multiple news reports on October 27 suggest up to 2300 are injured with many still caught under rubble but this figure increased to over 4100 by October 30. Latest figures suggest that casualties exceeds 604 and an estimated 2200 buildings are damaged or destroyed in the affected areas. The death toll was caused primarily from building collapse in urban areas.
On 27th of October Disasters and Emergency Situations Directorate of Turkey AFAD announced that 13 million TL (around $7 million US) has been sent so far in terms of emergency relief efforts. Another 8.6 million TL (just under $5 million US) has been donated via charity so far. There are now a total of 3,826 search and rescue officers, 904 medical personnel, 18 search dogs, 651 construction equipment and vehicles, including 146 ambulances, 7 rescue choppers (air ambulances), 46 generators, 77 projectors, 95 portable toilets, 37 mobile kitchens, 3,051 kitchen sets, 6,359 catalytic stoves and a mobile oven in the disaster area. 25,185 tents sent by Turkish Red Crescent Society were distributed. 10 collective shelter tents, 60 prefabricated houses, 90 Mevlana Transitional Houses(translation needed) houses have also been erected. 109,986 blankets, 1,150 quilts and 5,109 sleeping bags have also been distributed. 3 meals a day are being provided with distribution of hot meals food etc. Also 30 field tents have been set up for public services and psychosocial trauma support.
As of October 27, in some sites, rescue work had been stopped where attention was turning to the needs of the survivors, however, there were still survivors found and saved from the rubble on the same day and thereafter. The government had announced that tents will be delivered to those whose homes were deemed unsafe rather than whoever lined up asking for one.
According to AFAD as of October 30,12:00 UTC there are 4,440 search and rescue personnel, 1710 medical personnel, 18 search dogs, 651 construction equipment and vehicles including 146 ambulances, 143 generators, 77 projectors, 95 portable toilets, 42,711 tents (including 8,166 from overseas aid), 54 collective shelter tent, 69 general purpose tents, 65 prefabricated houses, 2,300 Mevlana houses, 160,360 blankets, 1,179 quilts, 37 mobile kitchens, 3,051 kitchen sets, 6,899 catalytic stoves, 5,792 sleeping bags, and 1 mobile kitchen are present.
and NATO expressed their condolences and NATO offered help. The President of the de facto
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Derviş Eroğlu
also sent condolences. Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan sent his condolences to Turkish President Abdullah Gül
and offered immediate help. United States President
Barack Obama
said: "We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish ally in this difficult time and are ready to assist the Turkish authorities."
Armenia
, Azerbaijan
, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kosovo, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States also offered Turkey aid after the earthquake. People in over 200 cities taking part in Thrill the World
2011 also pledged all proceeds from their efforts.
Turkish President
Abdullah Gül
, said that Turkish teams were capable of handling the disaster management. Thus, as of 23 October, Turkey stated that it had acknowledged but declined all the aid proposals with the exception of neighbouring Azerbaijan
, Bulgaria
, and Iran
, with aid and rescue workers arriving at the affected area shortly after the quake struck without notifying Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Azerbaijan send 145 rescuers at night on October 23, another two rescue teams were sent to Turkey afterwards, bringing the total number to 213 rescue personnel. The Azerbaijani teams rescued 12 people, pulled 60 bodies from the rubbles. The Iranian Red Crescent set up relief camps to accommodate people made homeless by the quake. Several injured were transferred for treatment to the Iranian border city of Khoy
. However, on 25 October, Turkey announced that they would accept aid from other countries also.
The Turkish government is looking for tents, prefabricated houses, and living containers. The United Nations was sending thousands of tents as well as blankets and mattresses from October 28 on.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that Erzurum
would be a hub for international assistance sent by plane, and Van had been asked to establish a centre for assistance coming overland.
As of October 27, aid from other countries are as follows: Azerbaijan sent search and rescue team of 145 people, 1,250 tents, 700 beds, 40 generators, 5,000 blankets, 40 pieces of kitchen equipment. 490 tents by France, 200 tents by Italy, 284 tents by Russia, 60 tents, 300 blankets, 300 bed, and 60 stoves by Kazakhstan, 4 general purpose tents by Ukraine, 7 prefabricated houses by Israel and tents for 2000 by Belgium sent. Also Armenia
n government sent 40 tons of cargo to Turkey, including tents, sleeping bags, blankets and bedding. On 31 October Bulgaria provided 100 tents for winter conditions and will provide 50 more tents, 1,000 blankets and 300 mats.
Saudi Arabia
sent $50 Million to spend in relief efforts. Also European Union
announces that they will release TRY10 million fund for the cause.
Rescue workers were able to pull out 25 survivors from the rubble of the collapsed buildings. The earthquake toppled 25 buildings, said Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay
. Since most buildings were evacuated after the October 2011 earthquake, only 3 buildings were occupied, otherwise the death toll could have been worse.
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
earthquake that struck eastern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
near the city of Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 13.41 local time. It occurred at a shallow depth of 20 km (12.4 mi), causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and lighter tremors across neighboring parts of the South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
and Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
. According to Disasters and Emergency Situations Directorate of Turkey AFAD on October 30, the earthquake killed 604 and injured are 4,152. At least 11,232 buildings sustained damage in the region, 6,017 of which were found to be uninhabitable. The uninhabitable homes left as much as 8,321 households with an average household population of around 7.6 homeless in the province; this could mean that at least around 60,000 people were left homeless.
The other 5,215 have been damaged but are habitable.
Geology
The magnitudeMoment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
7.2 (Mw) Eastern Highlands earthquake occurred inland on 23 October 2011 at 13.41 local time, centered about 16 km (9 mi) north-northeast of Van, Turkey and at an estimated focal depth
Hypocenter
The hypocenter refers to the site of an earthquake or a nuclear explosion...
of 7.2km (4.5 mi). Its focal region and much of easternmost Turkey lie towards the southern boundary of the complex zone of continental collision
Continental collision
Continental collision is a phenomenon of the plate tectonics of Earth that occurs at convergent boundaries. Continental collision is a variation on the fundamental process of subduction, whereby the subduction zone is destroyed, mountains produced, and two continents sutured together...
between the Arabian Plate
Arabian Plate
The Arabian Plate is one of three tectonic plates which have been moving northward over millions of years and colliding with the Eurasian Plate...
and the Eurasian Plate
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
, beyond the eastern extent of the Armenian and Asia Minor fault zones. Part of the convergence between these two plates takes place along the Bitlis-Zagros fold and thrust belt
Zagros fold and thrust belt
The Zagros fold and thrust belt is a ~1800 km long zone of deformed crustal rocks, formed in the foreland of the collision between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate...
. The earthquakes's focal mechanism
Focal mechanism
The focal mechanism of an earthquake describes the inelastic deformation in the source region that generates the seismic waves. In the case of a fault-related event it refers to the orientation of the fault plane that slipped and the slip vector and is also known as a fault-plane solution...
indicates oblique thrust fault
Thrust fault
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
ing, consistent with the expected tectonics in the region of the Bitlis-Zagros Fault Zone, where thrust mechanisms dominate.
Due to its great intensity and shallow depth, the earthquake produced significant ground motions
Strong ground motion
"Peak ground velocity" redirects here.Seismologists usually define strong ground motion as the strong earthquake shaking that occurs close to a causative fault...
across a large area. Violent shaking measuring MM IX on the Mercalli scale
Mercalli intensity scale
The Mercalli intensity scale is a seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake, and is distinct from the moment magnitude M_w usually reported for an earthquake , which is a measure of the energy released...
occurred in Van, although widespread strong to severe (MM VI–VIII) shaking was observed in many smaller and less populated areas around the epicenter. Lighter but well-felt ground motions (MM V–III) spread much farther across the region, extending into surrounding countries such as Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
The size of the rupture has been estimated as 60 km x 20 km, consistent with the observed distribution of aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s, on a WSW-ENE orientated fault plane with a dip of about 35°. An offset of about 2 m has been estimated at 10–15 km depth but there is no visible rupture of the ground surface. The rupture lasted for about 50 seconds.
There has been 1561 aftershocks above magnitude 2 Mw as of October 30. The highest magnitude aftershock came at 11:45pm Local on October 23rd, with a MI 5.7 and Mw 6.0. The number of aftershocks reported in ranges as follows:
556 ranging from magnitude 2 to 3;
832 ranging from magnitude 3 to 4;
108 ranging from magnitude 4 to 5; and
7 ranging from magnitude 5 to 6.
Impact
The earthquake and its aftershocks affected much of eastern Turkey, demolishing hundreds of buildings and burying numerous victims under the rubble. ErcişErcis
Ercis may refer to:* Erciş, a district of Van province in the east of Turkey* European Research Center for Information Systems...
, a town near Van, was hardest hit by the violent shaking; at least 55 destroyed buildings, 45 fatalities, and 156 injuries occurred in the town alone. Most of the buildings collapsed along the town's main road and were residential, raising the possibility of a higher death toll. In smaller villages near the epicenter, the shaking demolished almost all the brick houses.
In the city center of Van, at least 100 people were confirmed dead, and 970 buildings collapsed in and around the city. About 200 inmates escaped after the walls of a prison succumbed to the shaking, although 50 were quickly recaptured. The Van Ferit Melen Airport
Van Ferit Melen Airport
Van Ferit Melen Airport is an airport in Van, the city in eastern region of Turkey. It is named after the Turkish politician and former prime minister Ferit Melen .-Airlines and destinations:- Traffic Statistics :Source: DHMI.gov.tr...
was damaged, but contradictory reports were given: According to NTV, airplanes were diverted to the neighboring cities, while according to the Anatolia News Agency, the earthquake did not disrupt the air traffic. The natural gas, water, power, and communication systems in Van were all reported affected and in function again within 24 hours after the earthquake.
Twenty-four hours following the main shock the death toll stood at 264 but estimates were ranged up to a thousand. As of 25 October, rescue and aid efforts are still ongoing, as many as 40,000 people are believed to be homeless due to the considerable number of collapsed or damaged buildings. Multiple news reports on October 27 suggest up to 2300 are injured with many still caught under rubble but this figure increased to over 4100 by October 30. Latest figures suggest that casualties exceeds 604 and an estimated 2200 buildings are damaged or destroyed in the affected areas. The death toll was caused primarily from building collapse in urban areas.
Response
As of October 23, The Turkish government had responded the disaster with 1275 personnel, 174 vehicles, 290 health officials, 43 ambulances, and 6 air ambulances. Local people also joined the rescue action, some using their bare hands. Survivors and opposition politicians have criticized the crisis management of the government.On 27th of October Disasters and Emergency Situations Directorate of Turkey AFAD announced that 13 million TL (around $7 million US) has been sent so far in terms of emergency relief efforts. Another 8.6 million TL (just under $5 million US) has been donated via charity so far. There are now a total of 3,826 search and rescue officers, 904 medical personnel, 18 search dogs, 651 construction equipment and vehicles, including 146 ambulances, 7 rescue choppers (air ambulances), 46 generators, 77 projectors, 95 portable toilets, 37 mobile kitchens, 3,051 kitchen sets, 6,359 catalytic stoves and a mobile oven in the disaster area. 25,185 tents sent by Turkish Red Crescent Society were distributed. 10 collective shelter tents, 60 prefabricated houses, 90 Mevlana Transitional Houses(translation needed) houses have also been erected. 109,986 blankets, 1,150 quilts and 5,109 sleeping bags have also been distributed. 3 meals a day are being provided with distribution of hot meals food etc. Also 30 field tents have been set up for public services and psychosocial trauma support.
As of October 27, in some sites, rescue work had been stopped where attention was turning to the needs of the survivors, however, there were still survivors found and saved from the rubble on the same day and thereafter. The government had announced that tents will be delivered to those whose homes were deemed unsafe rather than whoever lined up asking for one.
According to AFAD as of October 30,12:00 UTC there are 4,440 search and rescue personnel, 1710 medical personnel, 18 search dogs, 651 construction equipment and vehicles including 146 ambulances, 143 generators, 77 projectors, 95 portable toilets, 42,711 tents (including 8,166 from overseas aid), 54 collective shelter tent, 69 general purpose tents, 65 prefabricated houses, 2,300 Mevlana houses, 160,360 blankets, 1,179 quilts, 37 mobile kitchens, 3,051 kitchen sets, 6,899 catalytic stoves, 5,792 sleeping bags, and 1 mobile kitchen are present.
International
The European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and NATO expressed their condolences and NATO offered help. The President of the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus...
Derviş Eroğlu
Dervis Eroglu
Dr. Derviş Eroğlu is the President of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He was Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus from 1985 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2004, and leader of the National Unity Party. His party won the general elections in 2009 and Eroğlu...
also sent condolences. Armenian President
President of Armenia
President of Armenia is the title of the head of state of Armenia since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.-Democratic Republic of Armenia :*Avetis Aharonyan *Avetik Sahakyan *Avetis Aharonyan -Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and Armenian...
Serzh Sargsyan sent his condolences to Turkish President Abdullah Gül
Abdullah Gül
Dr. Abdullah Gül, GCB is the 11th and current President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002-03, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-07....
and offered immediate help. United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
said: "We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish ally in this difficult time and are ready to assist the Turkish authorities."
Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kosovo, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States also offered Turkey aid after the earthquake. People in over 200 cities taking part in Thrill the World
Thrill the World
Thrill the World is an annual international dance event and world record breaking attempt, in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie dance seen in the music video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller", and the title of the event is an allusion to another of Jackson's songs, Heal the World...
2011 also pledged all proceeds from their efforts.
Turkish President
President of Turkey
The President of Turkey is the head of state of the Republic of Turkey. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office but has some important functions...
Abdullah Gül
Abdullah Gül
Dr. Abdullah Gül, GCB is the 11th and current President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002-03, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-07....
, said that Turkish teams were capable of handling the disaster management. Thus, as of 23 October, Turkey stated that it had acknowledged but declined all the aid proposals with the exception of neighbouring Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, with aid and rescue workers arriving at the affected area shortly after the quake struck without notifying Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Azerbaijan send 145 rescuers at night on October 23, another two rescue teams were sent to Turkey afterwards, bringing the total number to 213 rescue personnel. The Azerbaijani teams rescued 12 people, pulled 60 bodies from the rubbles. The Iranian Red Crescent set up relief camps to accommodate people made homeless by the quake. Several injured were transferred for treatment to the Iranian border city of Khoy
Khoy
Khoy is a city in and the capital of Khoy County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 178,708, in 45,090 families....
. However, on 25 October, Turkey announced that they would accept aid from other countries also.
The Turkish government is looking for tents, prefabricated houses, and living containers. The United Nations was sending thousands of tents as well as blankets and mattresses from October 28 on.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
would be a hub for international assistance sent by plane, and Van had been asked to establish a centre for assistance coming overland.
As of October 27, aid from other countries are as follows: Azerbaijan sent search and rescue team of 145 people, 1,250 tents, 700 beds, 40 generators, 5,000 blankets, 40 pieces of kitchen equipment. 490 tents by France, 200 tents by Italy, 284 tents by Russia, 60 tents, 300 blankets, 300 bed, and 60 stoves by Kazakhstan, 4 general purpose tents by Ukraine, 7 prefabricated houses by Israel and tents for 2000 by Belgium sent. Also Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n government sent 40 tons of cargo to Turkey, including tents, sleeping bags, blankets and bedding. On 31 October Bulgaria provided 100 tents for winter conditions and will provide 50 more tents, 1,000 blankets and 300 mats.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
sent $50 Million to spend in relief efforts. Also European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
announces that they will release TRY10 million fund for the cause.
November 9 earthquake
Another earthquake with magnitude Mw 5.7 and a depth of 9.4km hit near Van on November 9 at 21:23 local time (19:23 UTC), causing 40 deaths and hundreds injured. It was centered 16 km south of Van. Among the buildings collapsed by the November 9 earthquake was the Bayram Hotel, which hosted some journalists and rescue workers. Some journalists trapped in the rubble sent text messages asking to be rescued. A Japanese aid worker was reported dead. It is not clear yet if the earthquake of November 9 was an aftershock of the October 23 earthquake, while the Kandilli earthquake center of Turkey said that the November 9 earthquake was an independent earthquake.Rescue workers were able to pull out 25 survivors from the rubble of the collapsed buildings. The earthquake toppled 25 buildings, said Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay
Besir Atalay
Beşir Atalay is a Turkish politician who is the current Deputy Prime Minister in the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He was Minister of the Interior from 28 August 2007 to 14 July 2011.-Early years and academic career:...
. Since most buildings were evacuated after the October 2011 earthquake, only 3 buildings were occupied, otherwise the death toll could have been worse.
External links
- Van Eearthquake Report by ITU Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Management Institute