New Quake Hits Turkey
The latest in this year's string of earthquakes hit Turkey with a 5.2 magnitude, the epicentre of which can be traced to the village of Mollakasim.
Though there have been no reports of injuries or excessive damage, Van province has been previously hit with 2 quakes before this and has had no time to recover from the unfortunate events. Van which previously housed half a million is now a veritable ghost town. Gov. Munir Karaloglu has called for immediate aid for survivors as well as relief goods.
Last month's earthquakes (in magnitudes 5.7 to 7.2 respectively) have left the province in incredible desolation-more than 600 deaths, about 2,000 buildings crumbling to the ground, and thousands left homeless coming to terms with a very bitter season.
Karaloglu has made it clear that this would be the best time for the rest of the country to show some compassion and rally together to rebuild Van.
Exceedingly few commercial buildings survived the series of earthquakes and even those whose homes are undamaged have fled in fear of more quakes to come. What's more, with the biting November frost coming, survivors are finding themselves hard pressed to find shelter and food.
Though international authorities have sent for relief goods such as tents and manufactured homes, reports of deaths from the earthquake's aftermath of devastation have been given account.
The HaberTurk newspaper reports of one such case. A handicapped 7-year-old girl died of pneumonia due to unfit shelter and lack of warm clothing. She was living in a makeshift tent with her father when she passed away on Sunday. The province is also experiencing a very low dip in temperature at -15 degrees Celsius and as such Karaloglu implores the need for warmth-in both the literal and metaphorical variety.