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Turkey’s Kandilli Observatory said the death toll could be between 500 and 1 000.
At least 35 buildings are reported to have collapsed.
The earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7,3 struck in the Van province near the Iranian border yesterday.
The epicentre was below the village of Tabanli, near the city of Van.
“The quake was strongly felt in Van and neighbouring towns and caused damage and deaths, based on initial assessments,” the Turkish prime minister’s office said.
Ten buildings collapsed in Van and 25-30 in neighbouring Ercis, officials said. Several strong aftershocks were reported.
“There are so many dead. Several buildings have collapsed. There is too much destruction,” Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis, told NTV television.
“We need urgent aid. We need medics.”
Rescue workers and residents using their bare hands and shovels struggled to free people believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings, television footage showed.
Meanwhile, Israel yesterday offered “any aid” Turkey might need after the earthquake, despite ongoing tensions between the formerly close allies.
The Israeli embassy in Ankara has also offered the Turkish government humanitarian aid, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The two countries have maintained a tradition of offering each other assistance in
times of need, despite the frayed relations.
Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey. In 1999, about 18 000 people were killed by two powerful earthquakes that struck north-western Turkey.
Authorities blamed shoddy construction for many of the deaths. – guardian.co.uk/AFP.
Online Reporter