Series of Continuing Emergencynet News Real-Time
Reports Concerning A Major Earthquake
in Turkey -- 16 Aug 99 to 17 Aug 99
22:30CDT - 16 Aug 99
ANKARA, TURKEY -- So far fragmentary reports say that a major earthquake, with the epicenter of the quake located near the town of Izmit, has caused major damage, injuries, and an unknown number of deaths. The quake reportedly started shaking at about 3:02 a.m. (8:02 p.m. EDT Monday). According to radio reports, the quake measuring between 6.7 and 7.1 on the Richter scale, has collapsed buildings and blacked out Istanbul, Turkey's largest city. Many injuries were reported in the western city of Adapazari and rescue efforts are said to be underway there at this hour. Early indications would seem to suggest that this may be a major quake incident. More exact details of the extent of damage and number of casualties are still sketchy and EmergencyNet News will continue to monitor events in Turkey and provide additional reports as circumstances warrant.
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Emergencynet News Instant Update
00:15CDT - 17 Aug 99
More than 100 Dead in Turkey
ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- At least 100 people are now thought to have died in a major earthquake that struck several Turkish cities early on Tuesday. The Associated Press, quoting Turkish state T.V. as saying that more than one hundred have died and "hundreds more" are injured. Rescue efforts continue at the site of numerous multiple story buildings that have collapsed, trapping people inside. People were seen picking through the debris with hand tools, and even their bare hands, as cries for help could be heard by the volunteer rescuers. Several fires have broken out, including an oil refinery blaze that is reportedly burning out of control. More as it becomes available...
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01:15CDT - 17 Aug 99
The death toll in several stricken Turkish cities is believed to have risen to more than 150, with as many as 1,000 injured. The scene in a number of cities is described as "chaotic" by emergency officials. Major damage is reported in Izmit, Istanbul, Bursa, Eskisehir and Bolu. A private television station is reporting that hospitals are overwhelmed and that people are being triaged and treated on the street near a hospital entrance. It is feared that the death toll will continue to rise, as search and rescue efforts continue.
An unexplained discrepancy continues about the actual magnitude of the quake, as Turkish authorities report the quake at magnitude 6.8, but the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo. said the quake had a magnitude of 7.8. ERRI analysts say that any quake with a magnitude of greater than 7.0 can be expected to cause major, extensive damage in populated areas. Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) analysts say that, given the seriousness of the situation in Turkey, that they would recommend that an international rescue effort be begun at the earliest opportunity.
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03:30CDT - 17 Aug 99
The earthquake death toll in Turkey is now believed to have topped 300, and it continues to climb. It is also reported that more than 2,000 people have been injured in the the incident. Rescue efforts continue at a feverish pace in a number of places as volunteer rescuers claw through the rubble of their neighborhoods, searching for family and friends. Witnesses said rescue teams were struggling to reach residents buried under dozens of collapsed buildings in Izmit. Other towns in the area of the Sea of Marmara region, which are believed to be have been badly hit by the quake-- have not been heard from since the trembler -- prompting fears that many more may be injured or dead there.
Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson is in Turkey for talks concerning a future pipeline issue and he is expected to brief other U.S. officials later this morning. EmergencyNet News continues to monitor the rescue effort and will provide additional updates as circumstances dictate.
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09:05CDT - 17 Aug 99
From: ESR Vol. 3 - 229 - Morning Report
STRONG EARTHQUAKE KILLS HUNDREDS
More than 750 people have been reported killed by a violent earthquake that shook western Turkey Tuesday morning. Turkish State-run TRT television, at 14:00 GMT (09:00EDT), placed the death toll at more than 1,000. As many as 5,500 people have reportedly been hurt. More than 200 people were still believed trapped in debris at/near the Golcuk Naval Base.
The 7.8 magnitude quake crushed multiple apartment buildings and cut off electricity and phones. The quake centered on the industrial city of Izmit on the Sea of Marmara, home to one million people. It struck at 0302 hours local time (0002 GMT) and was felt as far away as Ankara, 275 miles to the east, and in neighboring Bulgaria. Dozens of reports of collapsed buildings suggest that the death toll is likely to continue to rise. Special search and rescue teams from Japan, the United States, Russia, Mexico and Israel are now all said to be ready to assist in Turkey...it is now up to the Turkish government to assess its needs and officially request the international experts.
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12:00CDT - 17 Aug 99
ERRI Experts Say its Too Early to Give Up Hope
By P. Anderson, Correspondent and Emergency Service Analyst
Turkish citizens shouldn't give up hope about people being rescued from collapsed buildings following a major earthquake in Ismit earlier today. According to building collapse and earthquake rescue specialists, people have been found alive in the rubble as much as 12 days after the initial event. In fact, in the March, 1992 Turkish earthquake, a 22 year old nurse was pulled from beneath a building collapse after eight days. She was also quoted as saying that she had been "talking with her two friends", who were also buried, for several days after the collapse...until she just "didn't hear them anymore."
Clark Staten, Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) Executive Director, said, "Traditionally and historically...rescuers find people trapped in voids created by collapsed buildings for many hours after earthquakes." "In fact, there historically appears to be a 'spike' in the number of people found after about 72 hours," Staten said. "Given the magnitude of today's quake event, we would strongly recommend that the Turkish government request as many international rescue experts as can be found and have them dispatched to Turkey at the earliest opportunity," he added. "Even if the special rescue teams were to arrive tomorrow, their efforts could still be most beneficial in assuring that everything possible is being done for those trapped in the rubble," Staten said. Additionally, Staten said that the effectiveness of local rescue teams begin to diminish as they work around the clock and they will need to be relieved for food and rest.
Staten said that the United States has developed what are called DMAT and USAR teams that are specially designed and trained to respond to incidents similar to what happened in Turkey. DMAT stands for Disaster Medical Assistance Team and USAR stands for Urban Search and Rescue team. Both have preloaded pallets of medical and rescue supplies that can be flown almost anywhere in the United States, or the world, within hours of an official Presidential/FEMA activation of the teams. "These people are among the elite of America's search and rescue forces and specially prepared for the the type of mission that may be needed in Turkey," Staten said. Israel, Switzerland, Japan, France, Germany and some other countries also have excellent heavy rescue teams that could be called to assist.
It is believed that a technical rescue assessment team from the United States has been sent overnight to Turkey to begin the process of large-scale international assistance, should it be requested by Turkish authorities.
EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in Turkey and will provide additional updates and perspectives as more information becomes available.
22:45CDT - 17 Aug 99
Ankara, Turkey - Government sources are now verifying at least 2,033 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries in a major earthquake that struck western Turkey early on Tuesday. Frantic rescue efforts continue at this hour as people dig through the rubble with picks and shovels and their barehands. Special rescue teams from several countries are reportedly either on the ground or enroute to Turkey. Particularly needed are sniffer rescue dogs, which can help locate people trapped under rubble. Additionally, more heavy lifting equipment -- like cranes and helicopters -- and which can remove the debris vertically, is also needed to help those still buried. Experts say that given the magnitude of the quake, and a summary of the reports received so far, that it is still likely that the death toll will rise. More as it becomes available...
From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Wednesday, August 18, 1999-Vol. 3, 229-09:00CDT
TURKEY
DEATH TOLL FROM EARTHQUAKE NOW EXCEEDS 3,500
Up to 10,000 people are said to be missing after Monday night's massive earthquake. Rescuers in northwestern Turkey are intensifying their efforts as hopes of finding people alive under the rubble of thousands of collapsed buildings begins to fade. Observers say rescuers are fighting a losing battle, as the special equipment needed to detect the presence of survivors under the rubble is only beginning to arrive in Turkey.
Turkish Heath Minister Osman Durmas said the death toll now exceeds 3,500, while more than 13,000 people have been injured. With specialist rescue teams heading for the disaster zone from around the world, emergency workers and ordinary Turks - many using just their bare hands - have worked to sift through the rubble of collapsed buildings. Israel, Japan, Germany, the United States, Britain and Russia are sending groups of experts in search and rescue, and sniffer dogs. They will bring with them equipment sensitive to heat and to carbon dioxide - both signs of living people trapped beneath rubble. Even traditional rival Greece has offered to send specialist personnel and medical equipment. Makeshift medical centers have been set up on street corners and in ruined buildings.
In some areas however, rescue work has barely begun, and many parts of the affected zone are still without power or communications. Turkish military and civilian services are already stretched to their limit and the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers arrive in more remote districts.
There are reported to have been up to 300 tremors in 24 hours since the first quake at 0302 hours local time (0002 GMT) on Tuesday and it is feared that more buildings could collapse. The quake, thought to be one of the most powerful this century, struck one of the most densely populated areas of the country.
In Izmit, the city closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, a fire at a nearby oil refinery is threatening to involve a large portion of the city. France and Germany are sending airborne fire extinguishing equipment to help battle the blaze amid fear that the whole plant could explode. People living within three miles of the refinery have been evacuated. The governor of the the region has warned of the danger that the fire might spread and cause a new disaster.
Destruction is spread across a wide area from Istanbul to the Golcuk area, about 80 miles southeast. The entire area has been declared a disaster zone, enabling the government to commandeer all private and public facilities for the relief effort. More than 800 people have reportedly died in the Izmit area alone. In nearby Golcuk over 100 sailors are dead or missing in the ruins of the town's naval barracks - one of the country's principal naval facilities. Thousands are reported to be missing in Istanbul and elsewhere.
There have been occasional moments of triumph, such as the rescue of a four-month-old baby from the rubble of an apartment building in Istanbul more than 24 hours after the quake.
20:30CDT - 18 Aug 99
Turkish officials now are reporting more than 4,000 deaths and in excess of 20,000 people injured by the Tuesday morning trembler. A media report suggests that as many as 10,000 other people are still missing and presumably may be buried under rubble in the areas affected by one of the worst quakes of the decade. To make matters worse, a refinery fire near Izmit is threatening to engulf additional fuel tanks or nearby ammonia tanks and create an additional environmental disaster to add to the many problems already associated with this earthquake.
Even though as many as 19 countries have now sent special rescue teams to Turkey, local residents are reportedly becoming angry at the pace of rescue efforts. Some areas continue to report that they have received "no help" from official agencies, either Turkish or international. Stories of families and neighbors searching and digging with hand tools abound in the international media. Turkish rescue officials say that their efforts have been delayed by blocked roadways, no electricity, and damaged phone systems that are inoperable. By this time, rescue experts say that it is also likely that Turkish rescuers, many of whom have been working for more than 36 hours, are also being overtaken by physical exertion and a lack of sleep.
The mayor of Izmit, Sefa Sirmen, summed up the desperate feeling of those attempting to cope with this major disaster. He is quoted by CNN as saying, "We need more rescue teams...we need at least 250 teams because that is the number of buildings that have been destroyed."
Thu 08/19/99 04:00CDT - Letter to the Editor
Below, please find a message our webmaster received this morning from Turkey:
From Özlem gürdağ [gurdagecz@aidata.net.tr]
"I am a pharmacist living in Istanbul, Turkey. The earthquake that happened here changed everything here, we are crying for two days and trying to find our relatives and most of our tries are unsucessful. We cannot reach by phone as the links are down. Everyone is collecting food and we are sending drugs, water whatever needed to there. All the hospitals are full, people trying to give blood to the patients. I am writing this to u because i wanted just u to learn these from a real citizen. Some countries sent help already others are saying that they will sent more but this is emergency and every passing hour means lost of lives so the thing i want from you is to make announcements to the countries and people to help us as soon as possible. Please hear our voice and collect help and food to us.
With my regards....
Özlem Gürdag"
ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Thursday, August 19, 1999-Vol. 3 - 231-09:00CDT
TURKEY
Rescuers Trying To Reach Victims In Summer Heat
With the summer heat showing no signs of abating, rescue teams are continuing their search for survivors from Turkey's devastating earthquake.
According to figures published by the official Turkish Crisis Center early on Thursday morning, more than 5,000 people are now reported to have been killed and some 20,000 injured. Rescuers are involved in a race against time to find the thousands of people still missing - only a few survivors are still being pulled from collapsed buildings.
Many people, trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings, have succumbed to the intense heat and lack of oxygen even as rescuers dug their way towards them. The heaviest casualty figures are in Izmit, on the Sea of Marmara, where the death toll has exceeded 2,000 people. According to the crisis center, the next hardest-hit areas were Sakarya, Istanbul and Bolu.
The quake has been assessed at having measured 7.4 on the Richter scale - higher than originally thought. And aftershocks measuring up to five on the Richter scale were still being felt more than 24 hours after the initial shock. The authorities in Izmit have been forced to use the town's ice-rink as a morgue.
Foreign expert rescue teams, armed with the special equipment needed to detect the presence of living people under the rubble, have begun to arrive on the scene. One 68-member U.S. team arriving in Istanbul on Wednesday night brought trucks and ambulances, as well as sensitive audio equipment for listening for possible survivors. Israel, Japan, Germany, Britain and Russia have also sent search-and-rescue experts, sniffer dogs and heat-sensitive equipment.
Firefighters are still struggling to gain control of a huge fire which has been raging at Turkey's largest oil refinery, Tupras, near Izmit. One official said that 100,000 tons of water and chemical foam had been dumped on the refinery, in an attempt to bring the blaze under control. The fire has engulfed seven of the refinery's 30 oil tanks. Turkish army firefighting aircraft joined several foreign planes to drop the foam onto the refinery.
The quake, thought to be one of the most powerful this century, struck a densely-populated area of the country. It caused widespread destruction from Istanbul to the port of Golcuk about 80 miles to the southeast, where up to 10,000 people are believed to be trapped.
Factsheet # 5: August 19, 1999 1700 hours
From: U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
TURKEY - Earthquake
Background: On August 17 at 3:02 a.m. local time, an earthquake lasting 45 seconds and reported to be between 7.4 and 7.8 on the Richter scale, hit Izmit, Turkey, approximately 55 miles east-southeast of Istanbul. Initial reports indicate that the major areas affected include various districts of Istanbul and provinces of Izmit (Kocaeli), Adapazari (Sakarya), Yalova, Bursa, Eskishir, and Bolu to east and southeast of Istanbul. The Government of Turkey (GOT) also reports that Turkey's main navel base at Golcuk was hard-hit. Geophysicists at the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center described the quake as one of the most powerful recorded in the 20th century, nearly rivaling the 7.9- magnitude temblor that devastated San Francisco in 1906. It was felt as far east as Ankara, 200 miles away, and across parts of the Balkans.
Numbers Affected:
· The Anatolian News Agency reports 6,325 deaths and 29,610 injured persons. (current)
· The dead and injured include members of an American family, of whom five died and two are injured.
· CNN reports that an estimated 10,000 people still are missing and another 20,000 people are reported injured.
· Hundreds of thousands of Turks are camped outside, because either their homes have been destroyed or they fear going home. Turkey's prime minister announced plans today to build tent cities for the thousands left homeless by the quake.
Current Situation:
· Fairfax County Search and Rescue team has recovered three people alive from collapsed buildings in Izmit.
· The fire that broke out at the Tupras refinery in Izmit has been contained to two tanks; previously it was burning in seven tanks. · Airports are functioning, but several bridges have collapsed and railways have been closed. All reports indicate that hospitals remain overwhelmed.
· The electricity distribution systems in Izmit (Kocaeli) and Adapazari (Sakarya) are reported to be working in a fragmentary fashion. However, distribution is limited to hospitals, bakeries, main arteries, and the water pumps at the Tupras refinery; there is no distribution to homes.
· Aside from Adapazari (Sakarya), the rest of the affected area is reported to be facing severe potable water problems.
· The area affected by Tuesday's earthquake accounts for roughly 35 percent of Turkey's gross domestic product. Turkey already is burdened with a state deficit estimated at more than $20 billion and an annual inflation rate of 50 percent. The country's leading business newspaper, Financial Forum, estimated that the earthquake could cost the country as much as $25 billion. However, the World Bank has pledged $120 million in new loans and said that $100 million in existing loans would be transferred to Turkey more quickly.
U.S. Government Response:
· The U.S. Government has responded with the immediate deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) composed of four persons and a USAID-supported 70-person search and rescue team from Fairfax County Fire Department. The DART/Fairfax County Search and Rescue team deployed to Izmit on the night of 18 August and established a base of operations in the Yavuz Sultan Maii neighborhood in the southeast quadrant of Izmit. Search and rescue operations began on the morning of 19 August, local time.
At 11:00 EDT, USAID/OFDA ordered the deployment of a second 70-person search and rescue team. Miami Metro Dade will field the team.
· USAID also seconded an eight-person team to assist the On-Site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC) established by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA). USAID/OFDA's assistance to the OSOCC includes search and rescue management personnel, an information officer, and a mapping expert.
· The USAID plane carrying emergency medical supplies and USAID/BHR Assistant Administrator Hugh Parmer is due to arrive in country early morning 20 August. In addition to staff already deployed, two epidemiologists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and a water/sanitation specialist were deployed this afternoon to assess emergency health and water/sanitation needs.
· A second USAID/OFDA-funded airlift carrying a reverse osmosis water purification unit, capable of assisting 10,000 persons, also is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul in the coming days.
· President Clinton promised more assistance to the search and rescue operations. As part of this effort, three U.S. warships carrying 2,100 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit will depart Spain today. The USS Kearsarge and USS Gunston Hall are expected to arrive on 22 August; the USS Ponce is due on 23 August. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group has 60 hospital beds, six operating rooms and five x-ray rooms. Its personnel comprise eight doctors, three dentists and 88 medical corpsmen.
· The U.S. Department of Defense deployed a 20-member crisis response medical team that arrived in country today and a three-member team of medical disaster assessment experts who are expected to arrive in county on 20 August.
Estimated USG Assistance to-date:
Turkish Red Crescent for relief assistance $25,000
Deployment of search and rescue team from Fairfax County, VA $1,000,000
Embassy administrative support costs $50,000
Relief items: medical supplies, 30,000 blankets, 500 roles of plastic
sheeting $350,000
Transport of relief items $300,000
Water purification unit $260,000
Deployment of search and rescue team from Miami Metro Dade $1,000,000
Total USG Assistance $1,985,000
Relief Efforts:
· The Turkish Coordination Council for Relief, operating under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is overseeing all relief operations in the affected region being carried out by national forces, Turkish Red Crescent, and volunteers.
· Turkish authorities have requested the following relief supplies: 5,000 body bags, heavy gloves and masks for clearing rubble, parabolic microphones, blankets, medicine and first-aid material, soup kitchens and food, range water, and water purification systems.
· UNOCHA has activated its Disaster Response System, which includes establishing the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team and an On-Site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC). In collaboration with Turkish authorities, UNDAC has established a reception center at the Istanbul airport to facilitate the movement of arriving relief items.
· As of 1000 EDT 19 August, search and rescue teams from 21 countries are assisting the relief effort.
· The current known breakdown, by location, is as follows:
· Golcuk: Hungary, Israel, France
· Yalova: Germany, Hungary, Israel, United Kingdom, France, Austria, Romania
· Avcilar: Germany, Greece
· Kocaeli: Russia, Hungary, France, Germany, Austria
· Sakarya: Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Egypt
· Izmit: United States, Switzerland
· Duzce: United Kingdom
· Bayrampasc: Italy
· Kartal: Azerbaijan
· The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a preliminary appeal for 10.52 million Swiss francs (approximately US$7.1 million) to assist 100,000 victims of the earthquake. Funds will be used to support the Turkish Red Crescent relief operation and to purchase locally relief items such as food, water, blankets, and tents.
20 Aug 99 - 12:00CDT
Death Toll Surges, But Dramatic Rescues Continue...
By C. L. Staten
At least two children have been rescued alive this morning in the continuing saga surrounding a devastating earthquake in Turkey. According to the Associated Press (AP), Hungarian specialists with specially trained sniffer dogs pinpointed the spot where a little girl was trapped in a collapsed building in the hard-hit Izmit region. After five hours of delicate digging, she was rescued alive. In Golcuk, a Russian rescue team reportedly was able to pull an unidentified 16-year-old girl from the rubble. These reports follow the rescue of at least four people yesterday by international rescue teams. "There are still reports of people hearing voices in the rubble," said Steve Catlin, rescue coordinator with the U.S. Agency for International Development's foreign disaster assistance office. "This gives us pause for future hope."
The official death toll reportedly surged Friday to 9,082 dead with about 34,000 injured. The Turkish government earlier had said 10,059 were dead and more than 45,000 were injured. Then it revised those numbers downward with no explanation. Independent observers and the press charge, however, that the rescue operation has allegedly been plagued by "poor communication." Meanwhile, charges that government estimates of the death toll are being "underestimated" continue. The Bloomberg Business report, quoting U.N. official Sergio Piazzi, said that as many as 40,000 people may have perished in Tuesday's quake. The Bloomberg report follows a similar report by Independent Newspaper in the U.K. that raises concerns about a vastly larger death toll. A U.N. spokesman in New York, Manoel de Almeida e Silva, told reporters on Thursday that some 35,000 people could be still buried under the debris.
Concerns also surfaced today about the possibility of spreading infectious diseases as bodies begin to decompose in the sweltering heat of the affected area. Additionally, many city sewer and water systems are said to be damaged and could become the source of a spread of typhoid or cholera. Inoculations were reportedly given to rescuers today in an effort to head off infections in those handling the deceased or otherwise exposed to blood or body fluids. Medical personnel are also complaining that health facilities were all but destroyed, and those that do exist are overwhelmed with those ill or injured by the quake or its developing aftermath.
Meanwhile, relief supplies and personnel continue to pour in to Turkey, with planes landing every hour. The international relief effort is being called extensive and expanding. But, the challenge still remains to get the supplies, medical, and humanitarian aid to the people who really need it...
ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Saturday, August 21, 1999-Vol. 3 - 233-08:30CDT
TURKEY
Death Toll From Earthquake Now Over 10,000
As hope fades of finding more survivors, rescue workers have begun setting up tent cities for hundreds of thousands left homeless by Tuesday’s devastating earthquake. The death toll topped 10,000 and was expected to keep climbing as crews, working in the summer heat amid the stench of decaying corpses and rotting garbage, tackled mountains of concrete debris where tens of thousands of bodies may lie buried.
Officials worried about outbreaks of diseases like cholera and dysentery sprayed disinfectants and distributed water purification tablets in hard-hit areas. In Adapazari province alone, home to 360,000 people, some 70,000 homes have been demolished or rendered uninhabitable by Tuesday’s quake.
In the naval port town of Golcuk on the Sea of Marmara, supplies of food and medical equipment were arriving and officials were setting up portable toilets in the parts of the city where they can be connected to sewage lines. Officials appealed to agencies and concerned citizens not to send fresh fruits or vegetables because there was no clean water to wash them.
By early Saturday, the official death toll had reached 10,204 with more than 34,000 injured. The scale of the disaster made it impossible to identify all the victims. So bodies were photographed and fingerprinted before being wrapped in a kefen, the traditional white Muslim burial cloth, and buried so that relatives could possibly identify them later.
There have been 1,300 reported aftershocks in the region since the quake, dozens of which registered magnitude 4 or above. Meanwhile, firefighters have finally put out a blaze at Turkey’s biggest oil refinery. The fire had threatened the city of Izmit with explosions and pollution.
Rescue work resumed at dawn, but there was little hope of finding more survivors. Most people trapped in such situations die after 72 hours, a window that passed early Friday morning. Only a handful of people were found alive Friday, 3 1/2 days after the quake, mostly by foreign teams, which arrived in Turkey with high-tech equipment. One 9-month-old baby girl extracted from the rubble on Friday was flown to Israel on Saturday for treatment. Israeli doctors said her body functions were collapsing due to dehydration and other factors.
Many of the homes that collapsed had been poorly constructed with substandard materials, provoking public outrage at builders and the local authorities charged with enforcing codes.
An official with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs based in Geneva, said Turkish officials estimated as many as 35,000 people were still unaccounted for. Most are probably buried, but some are thought to be alive yet unable to contact relatives due to the damaged telephone lines in the area.
ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Sunday, August 22, 1999-Vol. 3 - 234-09:00CDT
TURKEY
Risk Of Epidemic Said to Be Great; Turkey Begins To Bulldoze The Dead
Rescue workers at the center of the region worst affected by the earthquake in Turkey have been told to abandon the search for more survivors and pull out of the area. British and Dutch rescue teams are withdrawing from the town of Adapazari to allow bulldozers to move in and complete the clearing operation to reduce the risk of an epidemic. A spokesman for the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team said that it would "be a miracle" if any more survivors were found. Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit warned that the risk of disease was now so great that bodies would be buried before they had been identified.
The death toll from Tuesday's earthquake rose to 12,000 on Saturday with another 35,000 estimated to be buried beneath the rubble. As heavy equipment moved in on Saturday to accelerate the clearance, members of the British Rapid UK Rescue Team were told their skills were no longer needed. The team said the Turkish authorities had decided the risks of cholera and typhus were now so great that it was better to concentrate on the living. U.S. workers in Izmit say they still hope to find survivors and will continue looking for the next few days.
As aftershocks continue to rock the region, tent cities are being created on the outskirts of affected towns. The UN rapid response unit operating in Turkey estimates that the number of homeless to be about 200,000. About one million people are thought to be sleeping in the open, fearful of returning to their homes. The Turkish government said that the earthquake is the worst economic disaster in modern Turkish history.
In Cinarcik on Saturday, 30 miles south of Istanbul, Israeli soldiers managed to free a 10-year-old from the debris of a collapsed building. But several other members of her family perished in the disaster. Turkish and French rescuers freed an 11-year-old girl in the seaside town of Yalova. And a 95-year-old woman was rescued by the Austrian army in a row of homes overlooking the Sea of Marmara.
Three U.S. Naval ships are preparing to join the rescue and relief operation. The USS Kearsarge - the largest U.S. Naval vessel in the area - and two supporting ships will provide 22 helicopters, cranes, bulldozers, jeeps and more than 2,000 U.S. Marines. They also carry an impressive array of medical facilities including five X-ray units and six operating theaters.
ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Monday, August 23, 1999-Vol. 3 - 235
TURKEY
Bulldozers Move In To Clear The Rubble
Bulldozers are now moving in to clear thousands of tons of rubble and to recover the bodies of those killed in the devasting earthquake that struck western Turkey six days ago. Survivors - many with relatives still under the rubble - watched helplessly as the operation started in some locations. There are few people in the disaster zone who have not lost at least one member of their family. Turkish officials say they are convinced that the need to clear up quickly to prevent the risk of disease outweighs the remote hope that a painstaking search of each building might yield more survivors.
The dilemma was highlighted on Monday, when a four-year-old boy was found alive in the wreckage of a building in Cinarcik, 35 miles south of Istanbul. He was pulled out by Israeli army rescuers and taken to a hospital in Istanbul for treatment. A few rescue teams have still not given up hope
The problems facing the Turkish authorities were exacerbated when heavy rain broke out. The rain will make the wreckage heavier and increase the risk that it could shift and topple on to rescuers. It will also make life even more miserable for the thousands of survivors living in makeshift shelters.
Health officials, already fearful of the onset of diseases such as typhoid and dysentry, say the rain could be a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it could wash away the dirt and dust that might carry sickness. But if it turns warm again, there could be an increased risk of disease from mosquitos and flies.
More than 115,000 buildings collapsed, many of them multi-story apartment buildings. The number of dead has officially been put at 12,000 although officials say more than 30,000 other bodies may still be buried in the rubble.
As some of the foreign rescue teams left for home, two US warships from the Sixth Fleet - USS Kearsarge and USS Gunston Hall - arrived in the Sea of Marmara off Izmit. Another ship is on its way. As well as bringing 2,100 troops, the warships are equipped with four operating rooms, 17 intensive care beds and 84 medical personnel.
Poor building methods are being blamed for compounding the number of casualties. Many survivors have accused the Turkish government and military of acting "too slowly" and "without coordination" after the earthquake.
ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Tuesday, August 24, 1999-Vol. 3 - 236-09:00CDT
TURKEY
The Clean Up Continues
It was another night in the open for thousands of earthquake survivors in Turkey. The death toll has now reached 14,360, although it is feared another 35,000 bodies could still be buried under the rubble. An estimated 200,000 survivors are living in poor conditions in tents and makeshift shelters, having lost their homes in the disaster. The authorities have made fresh appeals for everything from tents to bulldozers so people can start rebuilding their lives.
The authorities are now concentrating efforts on bulldozing ruins and repairing drains and sewers rather than looking for more survivors. They are concerned that the combination of the bodies and the recent rain could hasten the onset of disease.
Turkish officials say they are convinced that the need to clean up quickly to prevent the risk of disease outweighs the remote hope that a pain-staking search of each building might yield more survivors. Turkish doctors say the most pressing need is for sanitation equipment to help prevent an epidemic. Public toilets, water purification tablets and antibiotics are a top priority, along with tents for shelter, and basics such as soap.
Three ships from the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet have arrived to help, equipped with several operating rooms and more than 600 beds. One of them, the USS Kearsarge, can generate 220,000 gallons of drinking water a day. The helicopters onboard will be used to transport heavy loads such as bulldozers to remote regions currently inaccessible by road. Spanish, Israeli and Canadian troops are also on hand to help in the fight against the spread of disease in the earthquake zone.
Click here for a "Building Collapse Rescue" article by ERRI's C. L. Staten
7 June 95 -Click here for an EmergencyNet News Editorial by Paul Anderson, entitled, "The Politics of Disaster; Unnecessary Deaths"
16 Jan 95 - Major Earthquake Devastates Osaka, Kobe
© EmergencyNet News Service, 1999. All rights reserved. Redistribution without permission is prohibited by law.
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