Quake survivors face another freezing night

Turkey’s rescue services race against time to find survivors after the country’s most powerful earthquake in a decade claims at least 270 lives.

With hundreds more still missing the death toll is bound to rise further.

Casualties are concentrated in the town of Ercis and the provincial capital Van but outlying villages are still being checked.

Turkey’s Health Minister Recep Akdag, put the injured figure at around 1300 – “ I use the world around,” he said, “because there are slightly inured people who were treated but not registered.”

As temperatures plummeted tens of thousands of people spent their second night under canvass either made homeless by the quake or too frightened to return inside vulnerable buildings.

The Red Crescent has distributed up to 1300 tents so far but is preparing to provide temporary shelter for around 40,000 people.

More about: Earthquake, Rescue, Survivors, Turkey, Victims

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