The death toll from a powerful earthquake that on Sunday rocked southeastern Turkey may reach up to 1,000 people, the country’s Kandilli Observatory said.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the city at 13:40 local time (10:40 a.m. GMT), the U.S. Geological Survey said. Its epicenter was located at a depth of 20 kilometers.
“We are estimating a death toll between 500 and 1,000,” Mustafa Erdik, head of the Kandilli Observatory, said at a news conference. The seismological service’s estimate is based on the strength of the quake and the structure of the housing in the area.
The quake completely ruined 50 appartment buildings, including a dormitory in the city of Van as well as in the neighboring town of Ercis. About 1,000 buildings have been crumbled.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay told reporters some 10 buildings had collapsed in Van and about 25-30 buildings collapsed in the nearby district of Ercis.
Several strong aftershocks were also reported.
"There are so many dead. Several buildings have collapsed, there is too much destruction," Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis told NTV television, but did not specify the number of dead. "We need urgent aid, we need medics."
Initial reports said resquers with humanitarian aid were unableto reach Van, as the quake has crippled the city's airport, but later the facility resumed operatins.
According to local media, more than 200 people have been treated for injuries.
Residents flocked into the streets as rescue workers struggled to evacuate people, believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings, television footage showed.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has headed to the quake-stricken area, Turkish media reports.
Tremors were felt throughout eastern Turkey and as far away as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. The US Geological Survey estimated that more than 19.1 million people may have felt the earthquake.
Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the earthquake measured 3-5 in Armenia.
