Turkey Earthquake Rescue
People search through collapsed buildings in the village of Tabanli, near the city of Van, hoping to rescue those trapped under debris—victims of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Turkey yesterday afternoon.
The Turkey earthquake, one of the most severe in the country since 1999, was centered just outside of the provincial capital of Van (map), near Turkey's border with Iran. The quake was followed by multiple aftershocks, including one that registered as a magnitude 6.0, according to CNN.
The disaster has so far seen a death toll of almost 300 people, and the number continues to climb. Tens of thousands of people are also homeless due to the quake, and rescue workers are setting up tents and providing supplies such as blankets and heaters to help people survive outside in the mountainous region's near freezing temperatures. (See aerial pictures of the aftermath of last year's Haiti earthquake.)
"It is a very urgent situation," Hakki Erskoy, a disaster manager for the Turkish Red Crescent, told the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper. "Right now, we are facing a race against time to provide shelter for people."
—By National Geographic Staff
Turkey Earthquake Pictures: Devastation on the Day After
With the earthquake death toll now around 300, workers are racing to find survivors and shelter thousands against the cold in Turkey.
