Turkey earthquake: 217 confirmed dead amid fears toll could rise to 1,000

  • 13 years ago
The death toll in eastern Turkey's earthquake has climbed to more than 200, as rescue teams dig through dozens of buildings that collapsed in Sunday's powerful quake.

Turkey's interior minister, Idris Naim Sahin, said the death toll has risen to at least 217.

Another 740 people have been injured.

The airport at Van was also damaged, diverting planes to nearby cities and forcing relief teams to travel by road.

Ercis also experienced the worst infrastructure damage, with 25 to 30 buildings collapsing in the city alone, according to Besir Atalay, the deputy prime minister.

Sunday's earthquake had a relatively shallow depth of 12.2 miles, according to the US Geological Survey, which is likely to increase the damage wrough

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