The death toll from last night's earthquake in north western Turkey has continued to rise throughout the day. More than 2,000 people are confirmed dead and rescue officials have said nearly 11,000 more were injured. Many are still trapped under the rubble. Hundreds of apartment blocks were destroyed by the quake, which happened shortly after midnight in the Marmara region. A UN assessment team is on its way to the region to co-ordinate rescue efforts. Turkey's neighbours, NATO allies, and its traditional enemy, Greece, have already offered aid. International aid agencies have appealed for £5million to help the estimated 100,000 victims of the quake.
The earthquake, which measured 6.7 on the Richter scale, struck cities in the north west of the country, including Istanbul. It razed buildings and caused severe damage to infrastructure. Its epicentre was the industrial city of Izmit, about 55 miles east of Istanbul. The number of dead is increasing in towns and cities across the region as rescuers continue to dig through the debris. Most were crushed in their sleep. The Turkish Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit, has described the earthquake as the worst natural disaster he has ever seen. He said it would require gargantuan efforts to rebuild.
The earthquake hit Izmit shortly after 3am local time (midnight Irish time), a fire broke out at the city’s state-owned TURPAS oil refinery and dozens of buildings collapsed. The Anatolian news agency has said that many people also died in the cities of Bursa and Eskisehir, while the quake was also felt in the capital, Ankara. Power has been cut and communication has not been established with some badly hit areas. A Turkish naval base on the Sea of Marmara was also badly damaged. Twenty sailors are reported to have died, while almost 250 are thought to be trapped under rubble. The earthquake was followed by over 100 aftershocks, many of them in excess of four on the Richter scale.
The Turkish embassy is advising holidaymakers to proceed with their travel plans. There are no reports of any Irish people injured or killed in the earthquake. The majority of Irish holidaymakers go to the south of the country, mostly to the resorts of Kusadasi, Bodrum and Gumbet. Holidaymakers normally arrive and depart through Izmir, which is more than 11 hours drive from the epicentre.
People wishing to find out about relatives or friends in Turkey should call the Department of Foreign Affairs on Dublin 478 0822. Holidaymakers scheduled to fly out to Turkey this week are being advised to contact their travel agents.
