Eastern Turkey has experienced two devastating earthquakes in the past two months

Turkey Earthquake Survivors Tweet From Rubble

10 November 2011

Rescue teams have started to sift through rubble of at least 26 buildings which have collapsed following a devastating earthquake in eastern Turkey on Wednesday at 09:23 pm. So far, seven fatalities have been recorded, but at least 700 people still remain unaccounted for. Emergency workers have been dispatched to the areas worst hit to begin sifting through the rubble.

Fortunately, most of the buildings that collapsed were already evacuated following the 23 October 2011 earthquake which struck the same area. Wednesday's earthquake was one in a series of over 1,400 aftershocks from the October earthquake. One of the three occupied building to collapse, the Bayram Hotel, was housing aid workers, journalists and other media members, and survivors have been sending updates via Twitter and text message while they wait to be rescued.

At least 2,000 buildings were destroyed in October's earthquake and authorities declared 3,700 buildings unfit for living, leaving many residents to seek temporary shelter in tents provided by Turkey's Red Crescent and other aids groups, despite the cold.


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