1995-12-05
Quake Shakes Turkey's Southeast
(APW_ENG_19951205.1051)
1) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook southeastern Turkey on Tuesday night. No immediate casualties were reported.
2) The quake hit the region twice at 8:51 (1851 GMT), causing damage to the eastern Anatolian town of Pulumur, the Anatolia news agency said. Details were not available.
3) The epicenter was halfway between Tunceli and Bingol, 850 kilometers (530 miles) southwest of the capital Ankara, Istanbul's Kandilli observatory said.
4) A strong earthquake with a 6.0 magnitude killed 90 people in October in Dinar in western Turkey.
5) An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 can cause considerable damage.
6) Turkey's southeastern and entire eastern region sit on the Anatolian fault.


Quake Shakes Turkey's Southeast Eds: UPDATES with reports of injuries
(APW_ENG_19951205.1107)
1) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook southeastern Turkey Tuesday night, causing damages and injuries.
2) The quake hit the region twice at 8:51 (1851 GMT), causing injuries and damage to buildings in the Anatolian town of Pulumur, but no details were available, Recep Yazicioglu, governor of Erzincan, told HBB television.
3) Details were not available.
4) The epicenter was halfway between Tunceli and Bingol, 850 kilometers (530 miles) southwest of the capital Ankara, Istanbul's Kandilli observatory said.
5) Ismail Akgul, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry in Ankara told The Associated Press they were unable to contact with the area hit worst.
6) A strong earthquake with a 6.0 magnitude killed 90 people in October in Dinar in western Turkey.
7) An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 can cause considerable damage.
8) Turkey's southeastern and entire eastern region sit on the Anatolian fault.


Quake Shakes Eastern Turkey Eds: CORRECTS location to eastern Turkey; ADDS details
(APW_ENG_19951205.1159)
1) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook eastern Turkey Tuesday night, causing damages and injuries.
2) The quake hit the region twice at 8:51 (1851 GMT), causing injuries and damage in the eastern Anatolian town of Pulumur, Recep Yazicioglu, governor of Erzincan, told HBB television. Details were not available.
3) Tunceli governor Atil Uzelgun said 5 buildings had been damaged in Pulumur and Nazimiye, the Anatolia news agency reported.
4) Uzelgun said tents were being distributed to people who decided to spend the night outside, fearing further tremors.
5) The epicenter was halfway between Tunceli and Bingol, 850 kilometers (530 miles) southwest of the capital Ankara, Istanbul's Kandilli observatory said.
6) The area was shaken by three more moderate tremors after the initial quake, according to the Ataturk University observatory in Erzurum. The quakes were felt in the provinces of Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Erzincan, Mus and Elazig, the observatory added.
7) Ismail Akgul, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry in Ankara told The Associated Press they were unable to contact the areas hit worst.
8) A strong earthquake with a 6.0 magnitude killed 90 people in October in Dinar in western Turkey.
9) Turkey's southeastern and entire eastern region sit on the Anatolian fault.



1996-09-18
Moderate Earthquake Shakes Eastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_19960918.0085)
1) An earthquake measuring 5 shook the eastern Turkish cities of Erzurum and Bingol on Wednesday morning. No damage or casualties were reported.
2) The epicenter of the quake, which struck 8:11 a.m. (0511 GMT), was 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Erzurum and 900 kilometers (540 miles) east of the capital Ankara, according to the Ataturk University's seismology center.
3) Turkey's Aegean and Mediterranean coastal areas and eastern region sit atop an earthquake-prone area known as the Anatolian fault.
4) A magnitude-5 quake can cause damage to homes.



2001-07-11
Moderate Quake Jolts Eastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20010711.0361)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 rocked eastern Turkey early Wednesday, injuring at least 46 people who threw themselves from windows or balconies in panic, officials said.
2) The quake struck at 12:42 a.m. and was centered 24 miles east of the city of Erzurum, Istanbul's Kandilli Observatory said.
3) Rescue teams had been sent to five nearby villages to assess damage to buildings, said Osman Derya Kadioglu, the governor of Erzurum province.
4) Private NTV television said 46 people had been taken to hospital with minor injuries.
5) The quake was followed by a series of minor aftershocks, the largest with a magnitude of 3.0. Thousands of people remained on the streets overnight, fearing a second major quake.
6) Erzurum lies 440 miles east of the capital Ankara,
7) Most of Turkey lies on the active North Anatolian fault. In 1999, two major earthquakes struck western Turkey, killing some 18,000 people and damaging hundreds of thousands of homes.



2003-04-30
Strong earthquake jolts southeastern Turkey; no immediate reports of damage or casualties
(APW_ENG_20030430.0817)
1) A strong earthquake rattled a mountainous area of southeastern Turkey early Thursday, sending panicked residents into the streets in several cities. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of between 6.0 and 6.5, struck around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said. It was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
3) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told state television.
4) The quake reportedly damaged the power lines and generating equipment and telephone lines in the area. Mobile phone service appeared to be out in Bingol, located some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's southeast.
5) ``We were shaken like a rocking cradle in our bed,'' said Mehmet Cizrelioglu in Diyarbakir.
6) A magnitude 6 quake can cause severe damage.
7) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
8) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


Strong earthquake jolts southeastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030430.0834)
1) A strong earthquake jolted a mountainous area of southeastern Turkey early Thursday, collapsing some buildings, officials said. Television news reports said at least one person was killed.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of between 6.4, struck around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said. The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
3) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
4) Feyzullah Karaaslan, Bingol's mayor, said that the quake had caused cracks in a number of buildings and collapsed others.
5) ``We were shaken like a rocking cradle in our bed,'' said Mehmet Cizrelioglu in Diyarbakir.
6) Private NTV television said one person was killed in the quake, but gave no details. NTV said at least 10 people were hospitalized.
7) Provincial Gov. Huseyin Cos said a dormitory for primary and middle school students had collapsed and said there were conflicting reports of damage and injuries.
8) The quake damaged the power lines and generating equipment and telephone lines in the area and electric was cut. Mobile phone service appeared to be out in Bingol, located some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's southeast.
9) ``We were shaken like a rocking cradle in our bed,'' said Mehmet Cizrelioglu in Diyarbakir.
10) A magnitude 6 quake can cause severe damage.
11) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
12) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


URGENT Strong earthquake jolts southeastern Turkey; at least 13 people reported killed
(APW_ENG_20030430.0854)
1) A strong earthquake rocked a mountainous area of southeastern Turkey early Thursday, collapsing buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets of several towns, officials said. At least 13 people were reported killed and hundreds of homes destroyed in one village, according to television reports.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, struck around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, about 690 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said. The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
3) Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in the village of Cimenli, near Bingol, said he had pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes.
4) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Bartamay said, speaking on private NTV television.
5) Television footage showed hundreds of people roaming the streets of Cimenli and dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
6) There was no official confirmation of the casualties or damage.
7) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
8) Feyzullah Karaaslan, Bingol's mayor, said the quake had caused cracks in a number of buildings and collapsed others.
9) Provincial Gov. Huseyin Cos said a dormitory that housed 200 primary and middle school students in Bingol had collapsed. There was no immediate word on the students' fate.
10) The quake damaged power lines and generating equipment and telephone lines in the area and electricity was cut. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
11) A magnitude 6 quake can cause severe damage.
12) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
13) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


URGENT At least 135 children buried under debris after dormitory collapses in strong quake in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030430.0865)
1) At least 135 children were buried Thursday under the debris of a collapsed school dormitory after a strong earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, a provincial governor said.
2) It was unclear whether any students were killed, Gov. Huseyin Avni Cos told private NTV television. The dormitory is located in the town of Bingol, 690 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
3) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
4) NTV reported at least 13 people killed and hundreds of homes destroyed in the nearby village of Cimenli. MORE


URGENT ANKARA, Turkey: of Cimenli.
(APW_ENG_20030430.0867)
1) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told NTV. He said he pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes.
2) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
3) Television footage showed hundreds of people roaming the streets of Cimenli and dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
4) There was no official confirmation of the casualties or damage.
5) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
6) Feyzullah Karaaslan, Bingol's mayor, said the quake had caused cracks in a number of buildings and collapsed others.
7) The quake damaged power lines and generating equipment and telephone lines in the area and electricity was cut. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
8) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
9) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
10) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


At least 135 children buried under debris after dormitory collapses in strong quake in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030430.0869)
1) At least 135 children were buried Thursday under the debris of a collapsed school dormitory after a strong earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, a provincial governor said.
2) It was unclear whether any students were killed, Gov. Huseyin Avni Cos told private NTV television. The dormitory is located in the town of Bingol, 690 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
3) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
4) At least 13 people were killed and hundreds of homes destroyed in the nearby town of Cimenli, NTV said.
5) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told NTV. He said he pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes.
6) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
7) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
8) There was no official confirmation of the casualties or damage.
9) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
10) Feyzullah Karaaslan, Bingol's mayor, said some buildings had collapsed.
11) The quake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
12) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
13) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
14) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


School dormitory collapses in strong quake in Turkey; 85 students still buried under debris
(APW_ENG_20030430.0873)
1) A school dormitory collapsed Thursday in a strong earthquake in southeastern Turkey, trapping dozens of students under debris, reports said.
2) At least 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, 690 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, Deputy Gov. Huseyin Oner told private NTV television.
3) Crews were working to rescue another 85 students, he said. Some 135 students are housed in the dormitory, Gov. Huseyin Avni Cos told NTV.
4) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
5) At least 13 people were killed and hundreds of homes destroyed in the nearby town of Cimenli, NTV said.
6) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told NTV. He said he pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes.
7) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
8) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
9) There was no official confirmation of the casualties or damage.
10) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
11) Feyzullah Karaaslan, Bingol's mayor, said some buildings had collapsed.
12) The quake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
13) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
14) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
15) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.



2003-05-01
Strong quake kills 13 in Turkey; dozens trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0004)
1) A strong earthquake toppled a school dormitory in southeastern Turkey early Thursday, trapping dozens of children under debris and killing at least 13 people in a nearby town, reports said.
2) Rescuers had saved at least 50 students but another 85 were still under the wreckage in Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, Deputy Gov. Huseyin Oner told private NTV television.
3) Some 135 students are housed in the dormitory, Gov. Huseyin Avni Cos told NTV.
4) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:30 a.m. Thursday (0030 GMT) and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
5) At least 13 people were killed and hundreds of homes destroyed in the nearby town of Cimenli, NTV said.
6) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told NTV. He said he pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes.
7) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
8) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
9) There was no official confirmation of the casualties or damage.
10) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
11) Feyzullah Karaaslan, Bingol's mayor, said some buildings had collapsed.
12) The quake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
13) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
14) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


URGENT ANKARA: morning quake
(APW_ENG_20030501.0011)
1) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, 690 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, said Sevket Turan, an official of Bingol's municipality. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
2) Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake. Bingol's governor Huseyin Avni Cos said earlier Thursday that 135 were still trapped under debris. Private television CNN-Turk said the three-story dormitory had completely collapsed.
3) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said. MORE


URGENT ANKARA: Istanbul said.
(APW_ENG_20030501.0012)
1) At least 30 people were killed, more than 300 injured and hundreds of homes were destroyed in the quake, Turan said.
2) Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said he feared the death toll could rise dramatically.
3) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
4) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 11 dead and more than 200 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
5) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.'' MORE


URGENT Strong quake kills at least 30 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0013)
1) A strong earthquake toppled a school dormitory in southeastern Turkey early Thursday, trapping up to 200 students under debris and killing at least 30 people in the area, reports said.
2) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, said Sevket Turan, a municipal official. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
3) Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake. Bingol's governor Huseyin Avni Cos said earlier Thursday that 135 were still trapped under debris. Private television CNN-Turk said the three-story dormitory had completely collapsed.
4) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said. MORE


URGENT ANKARA: people, whatever.''
(APW_ENG_20030501.0014)
1) The town of Cimenli was one of the most hard hit, reports said.
2) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He said he pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes.
3) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
4) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
5) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
6) The quake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
7) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
8) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
9) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


URGENT ANKARA: Istanbul said.
(APW_ENG_20030501.0015)
1) At least 30 people were killed, more than 300 injured and hundreds of homes were destroyed in the quake, Turan said.
2) Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said he feared the death toll could rise dramatically.
3) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
4) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 11 dead and more than 200 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
5) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.'' MORE


URGENT ANKARA: people, whatever.''
(APW_ENG_20030501.0017)
1) The town of Cimenli was one of the most hard hit, reports said.
2) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes, he said.
3) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
4) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
5) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
6) The quake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
7) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
8) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
9) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


URGENT Strong quake kills at least 30 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0019)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 30 people in southeastern Turkey and toppled a school dormitory, trapping up to 200 students under debris, officials said.
2) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, 430 miles east of Ankara, said Sevket Turan, an official with Bingol municipality. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
3) Private television CNN-Turk said the three-story dormitory had completely collapsed. Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake.
4) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
5) At least 30 people were killed, more than 300 injured and hundreds of homes were destroyed in the quake, Turan said.
6) Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said he feared the death toll could rise dramatically.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area, officials said.
9) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 11 dead and more than 200 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
10) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
11) The town of Cimenli was one of the most hard hit, reports said.
12) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He said he pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes.
13) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
14) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
15) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
16) The quake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
17) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
18) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
19) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed some 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


URGENT Strong quake kills at least 30 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0021)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 30 people in southeastern Turkey and toppled a school dormitory, trapping up to 200 students under debris, officials said.
2) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, said Sevket Turan, a municipal official. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
3) Private television CNN-Turk said the three-story dormitory had completely collapsed. Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake.
4) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
5) At least 30 people were killed, more than 300 injured and hundreds of homes were destroyed in the quake, Turan said.
6) Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said he feared the death toll could rise dramatically.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area, officials said.
9) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 11 dead and more than 200 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
10) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
11) The town of Cimenli was one of the hardest hit, reports said.
12) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes, he said.
13) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
14) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
15) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
16) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
17) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
18) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
19) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


Strong quake kills at least 37 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0029)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 37 people in southeastern Turkey and toppled a school dormitory, trapping up to 200 students under debris, officials said.
2) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, said Sevket Turan, a municipal official. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
3) Private television CNN-Turk said the four-story dormitory had completely collapsed. Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake.
4) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
5) Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said at least 37 were killed in the quake _ a toll that was expected to rise.
6) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations. Bingol is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
7) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
8) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area, officials said.
9) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
10) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 11 dead and more than 200 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
11) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
12) The town of Cimenli was one of the hardest hit, reports said.
13) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes, he said.
14) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
15) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
16) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
17) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
18) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
19) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
20) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


Strong quake kills at least 37 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0034)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 37 people in southeastern Turkey and toppled a school dormitory, trapping up to 200 students under debris, officials said.
2) Public Works and Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150.
3) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, said Sevket Turan, a municipal official. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
4) Private television CNN-Turk said the four-story dormitory had completely collapsed. Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said at least 37 were killed in the quake _ a toll that was expected to rise.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations. Bingol is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
9) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area, officials said.
10) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
11) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 14 dead and more than 300 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
12) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
13) The town of Cimenli was one of the hardest hit, reports said.
14) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes, he said.
15) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
16) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
17) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
18) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
19) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
20) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
21) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


Strong quake kills at least 37 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0037)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 37 people in southeastern Turkey early Thursday and toppled a school dormitory, trapping up to 200 students under debris, officials said.
2) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, said Sevket Turan, a municipal official. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
3) Private television CNN-Turk said the four-story dormitory had completely collapsed. Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake.
4) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
5) Feyzullah Karaaslan, the city's mayor, said at least 37 were killed in the quake _ a toll that was expected to rise.
6) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
7) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
8) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area, officials said.
9) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
10) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 11 dead and more than 200 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
11) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
12) The town of Cimenli was one of the hardest hit, reports said.
13) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes, he said.
14) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
15) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
16) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
17) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
18) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
19) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault.
20) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


Strong quake kills at least 37 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0043)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 37 people in southeastern Turkey early Thursday and toppled a school dormitory, trapping up to 200 students under debris, officials said.
2) The estimated death toll stood at 150, said Public Works and Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen.
3) Some 50 children were rescued from the wreckage of the dormitory in Bingol, said Sevket Turan, a municipal official. Crews were working to rescue up to 200 primary and middle school students still buried under the school, he said.
4) Private television CNN-Turk said the four-story dormitory had completely collapsed. Turan said about 250 students were in the boarding school at the time of the quake.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) Bingol's mayor, Feyzullah Karaaslan, said at least 37 were killed in the quake _ a toll that was expected to rise.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
9) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area, officials said.
10) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
11) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital said 14 dead and more than 300 injured had been brought to the hospital so far. Ten were in serious condition, said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at Bingol.
12) ``We need every kind of help,'' Cokabay said. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
13) The town of Cimenli was one of the hardest hit, reports said.
14) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes, he said.
15) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
16) Hundreds of people were roaming the streets of Cimenli, and TV footage showed dozens of mud homes destroyed. A number of strong aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5, NTV reported.
17) ``The quake lasted 17 seconds and we think that it was a quake which could cause considerable damage,'' Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the observatory, told Turkish state television.
18) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
19) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
20) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
21) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


Strong quake kills at least 46 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0058)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 46 people in southeastern Turkey and toppled a school dormitory, trapping more than 100 students under debris, officials said.
2) Public Works and Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150 and private television NTV reported that 105 bodies had already reached the city's morgue. The report could not be independently confirmed.
3) Crews were working to rescue up to 140 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that completely collapsed, said Minister Ali Coskun from Bingol.
4) Coskun said at least 55 children had so far been rescued from the rubble.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) Coskun said 46 people had so far been confirmed dead. Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said the toll was expected to rise.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) Civil defense and mountaineers with earthquake-rescue experience were also on their way to Bingol, which is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
9) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
10) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area, officials said.
11) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the rubble.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) Meanwhile parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
15) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala said.
16) State television TRT broadcast footage of a soldier carrying a boy, his torso naked, out from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers.
17) The boy could be heard shouting ``baba!'' or father in Turkish.
18) ``May God save us from the worse,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. ``My hope is that the we end the rescue efforts in a happy way and we don't come across a sad outcome regarding our young ones.''
19) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
20) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
21) The town of Cimenli was one of the hardest hit.
22) ``Everything is destroyed. There are no buildings standing,'' Nihat Bartamay, who was helping the rescue effort in Cimenli, told private television NTV. He pulled 13 bodies out of several collapsed homes, he said.
23) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
24) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5.
25) Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the Istanbul observatory, said the quake lasted 17 seconds.
26) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Mobile phone service also appeared to be out in Bingol.
27) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
28) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
29) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


Strong quake kills at least 46 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0068)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 46 people in southeastern Turkey and toppled a school dormitory and trapping more than 100 students under debris, officials said.
2) Public Works and Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150 and private television NTV reported that 105 bodies had already reached the city's morgue. The report could not be independently confirmed.
3) Crews were working to rescue up to 140 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that completely collapsed, said Minister Ali Coskun from Bingol.
4) Coskun said at least 55 children had so far been rescued from the rubble. Five students were found dead in the rubble, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan told The Associated Press.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) Coskun said 46 people had so far been confirmed dead in the area. Karaaslan said the toll was expected to rise.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) Civil defense and mountaineers with earthquake-rescue experience were also on their way to Bingol, which is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
9) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
10) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area.
11) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the rubble.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) Meanwhile parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
15) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
16) State television TRT broadcast footage of a soldier carrying a boy out from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers.
17) The boy could be heard shouting ``baba!'' or father in Turkish.
18) ``May God save us from the worse,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. ``My hope is that the we end the rescue efforts in a happy way and we don't come across a sad outcome regarding our young ones.''
19) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
20) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
21) The mayor said the city also needed large tents.
22) ``Many buildings collapsed and we have a large number of people in the streets with no place to stay,'' Karaaslan said.
23) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
24) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5.
25) Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the Istanbul observatory, said the quake lasted 17 seconds.
26) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity.
27) A magnitude-6 quake can cause severe damage.
28) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
29) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


Strong quake kills at least 46 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0070)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 46 people in southeastern Turkey and toppled a school dormitory, trapping more than 100 students under debris, officials said.
2) Public Works and Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150 and private television NTV reported that 105 bodies had already reached the city's morgue. The report could not be independently confirmed.
3) Crews were working to rescue up to 140 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that completely collapsed, said Minister Ali Coskun from Bingol.
4) Coskun said at least 55 children had so far been rescued from the rubble. Five students were found dead in the rubble, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan told The Associated Press.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) Coskun said 46 people had so far been confirmed dead in the area. Karaaslan said the toll was expected to rise.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) Civil defense and mountaineers with earthquake-rescue experience were also on their way to Bingol, which is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
9) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
10) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area.
11) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the rubble.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) Meanwhile parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
15) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
16) State television TRT broadcast footage of a soldier carrying a boy out from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers.
17) The boy could be heard shouting ``baba!'' or father in Turkish.
18) ``May God save us from the worse,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. ``My hope is that the we end the rescue efforts in a happy way and we don't come across a sad outcome regarding our young ones.''
19) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
20) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
21) The mayor said the city also needed large tents.
22) ``Many buildings collapsed and we have a large number of people in the streets with no place to stay,'' Karaaslan said.
23) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
24) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5.
25) Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the Istanbul observatory, said the quake lasted 17 seconds.
26) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity.
27) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
28) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


Strong quake kills at least 46 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0075)
1) A strong earthquake killed at least 46 people in southeastern Turkey early Thursday and toppled a school dormitory, trapping more than 100 students under debris, officials said.
2) Public Works and Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150, and private television NTV reported that 105 bodies had already reached the city's morgue. The report could not be independently confirmed.
3) Crews were working to rescue up to 140 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that completely collapsed, said Minister Ali Coskun from Bingol.
4) Coskun said at least 55 children had so far been rescued from the rubble. Five students were found dead in the rubble, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan told The Associated Press.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) Coskun said 46 people had so far been confirmed dead in the area. Karaaslan said the toll was expected to rise.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) Civil defense and mountaineers with earthquake-rescue experience were also on their way to Bingol, a city of 250,000. At least 25 buildings and a bridge had collapsed in the center of the city.
9) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area.
10) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
11) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the rubble.
12) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
13) Meanwhile parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
14) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
15) State television TRT broadcast footage of a soldier carrying a boy out from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers.
16) The boy could be heard shouting ``baba!'' or ``father'' in Turkish.
17) ``May God save us from the worse,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. ``My hope is that the we end the rescue efforts in a happy way and we don't come across a sad outcome regarding our young ones.''
18) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
19) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
20) The mayor said the city also needed large tents.
21) ``Many buildings collapsed and we have a large number of people in the streets with no place to stay,'' Karaaslan said.
22) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
23) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5.
24) Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the Istanbul observatory, said the quake lasted 17 seconds.
25) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity.
26) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people. Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.


Strong quake kills at least 46 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0087)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 46 people and collapsing a school dormitory on more than 100 children. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble, pulling several dozen kids out alive.
2) Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150 throughout the region and private television NTV reported that 105 bodies had already reached the morgue of Bingol, the main city struck by the quake. The report could not be independently confirmed.
3) Crews were working to rescue up to 140 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that completely collapsed, said Industry Minister Ali Coskun speaking in Bingol.
4) Coskun said at least 55 children had so far been rescued from the rubble. Five students were found dead in the debris, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan told The Associated Press.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) Coskun said 46 people had so far been confirmed dead in the area. Karaaslan said the toll was expected to rise.
7) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' he said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
8) Civil defense workers and mountaineers with earthquake-rescue experience were also on their way to Bingol, which is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
9) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said.
10) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area.
11) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the rubble.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) Meanwhile parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
15) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
16) State television TRT broadcast footage of a soldier carrying a boy out from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers.
17) The boy could be heard shouting ``baba!'' or father in Turkish.
18) ``May God save us from the worse,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara.
19) President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he hoped ``our children under the debris will be saved as soon as possible.''
20) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
21) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
22) The mayor said the city also needed large tents.
23) Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
24) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
25) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5.
26) Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the Istanbul observatory, said the quake lasted 17 seconds.
27) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity.
28) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
29) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


Strong quake kills at least 46 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0096)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 46 people and collapsing a school dormitory on more than 100 children. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble, pulling several dozen kids out alive.
2) Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150 throughout the region and private television NTV reported that 105 bodies had already reached the morgue of Bingol, the main city struck by the quake. The report could not be independently confirmed.
3) Crews were working to rescue up to 140 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that completely collapsed, said Industry Minister Ali Coskun in Bingol. At least 55 children had been rescued from the rubble, he said.
4) Five students were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan said.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
6) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Dozens of aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
7) The industry minister said 46 people had been confirmed dead, while Bingol mayor Karaaslan said the toll was expected to rise to around 150, with 300 others injured.
8) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris to try to save students still believed alive.
9) The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
10) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the wreckage.
11) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
12) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
13) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
14) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
15) ``May God save us from the worst,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he hoped ``our children under the debris will be saved as soon as possible.''
16) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
17) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
18) The mayor said the city also needed large tents.
19) The Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
20) Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were all headed to the area from Ankara.
21) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5. The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
22) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
23) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
24) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht/tr


Strong quake kills at least 46 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed school dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0103)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 46 people and collapsing a school dormitory on more than 100 children. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble, pulling several dozen kids out alive.
2) Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150 throughout the region and private television NTV reported that 105 bodies had already reached the morgue of Bingol, the main city struck by the quake. The report could not be independently confirmed.
3) Crews were working to rescue up to 140 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that completely collapsed, said Industry Minister Ali Coskun speaking in Bingol.
4) Coskun said at least 55 children had so far been rescued from the rubble. Five students were found dead in the debris, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan told The Associated Press.
5) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
6) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck the region around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
7) Coskun said 46 people had so far been confirmed dead in the area. Karaaslan said the toll was expected to rise.
8) ``As the hours go by, the news from Bingol gets more sad. We estimate the death toll to be around 150, there are about 300 injured,'' the mayor said, adding that soldiers were on their way from the capital Ankara to help with the rescue operations.
9) Civil defense workers and mountaineers with earthquake-rescue experience were also on their way to Bingol, which is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
10) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled terrified residents.
11) Rescue officials were still unable to reach many villages in the area.
12) Soldiers, rescue workers and ordinary citizens worked their way through the debris to try to rescue students still believed to be alive from the school's dormitory. Anatolia reported that voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
13) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the rubble.
14) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
15) Meanwhile parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
16) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
17) State television TRT broadcast footage of a soldier carrying a boy out from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers.
18) The boy could be heard shouting ``baba!'' or father in Turkish.
19) ``May God save us from the worse,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara.
20) President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he hoped ``our children under the debris will be saved as soon as possible.''
21) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
22) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.'' Scores of injured were being treated in tents set up outside the hospital.
23) The mayor said the city also needed large tents.
24) Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
25) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
26) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5.
27) Gulay Barbarasoglu, head of the Istanbul observatory, said the quake lasted 17 seconds.
28) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity.
29) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
30) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-sf-ht


BINGOL: the quake
(APW_ENG_20030501.0114)
1) Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll stood at 150 throughout the region.
2) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed, said Coskun in Bingol. At least 69 children had been rescued from the rubble, private television NTV reported.
3) Five students were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan said.
4) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said. MORE


BINGOL, Turkey: the debris
(APW_ENG_20030501.0116)
1) Industry Minister Ali Coskun said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
2) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed, the industry minister said in Bingol. At least 69 children had been rescued from the rubble, private television NTV reported.
3) Five students were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaalsan said.
4) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
5) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said. MORE


URGENT BINGOL: Gunala said
(APW_ENG_20030501.0120)
1) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
2) ``May God save us from the worst,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he hoped ``our children under the debris will be saved as soon as possible.''
3) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
4) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
5) Scores of injured were being treated outside the hospital, and the mayor said the city also needed more large tents.
6) The Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
7) Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were all headed to the area from Ankara.
8) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5. The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
9) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
10) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
11) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey. ea-ht


BINGOL, Turkey: Gunala said.
(APW_ENG_20030501.0122)
1) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
2) ``May God save us from the worst,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he hoped ``our children under the debris will be saved as soon as possible.''
3) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
4) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
5) Scores of injured were being treated outside the hospital, and the mayor said the city also needed more large tents.
6) The Red Crescent had already sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
7) Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were all headed to the area from Ankara.
8) More than 50 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5. The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
9) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
10) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
11) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.
12) (ea-ht/tr)


URGENT Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0127)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children have already been saved from under the debris.
3) Industry Minister Ali Coskun said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed, the industry minister said in Bingol. At least 69 children had been rescued from the rubble, private television NTV reported.
5) Five students were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
6) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
7) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
9) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Dozens of aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
10) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris to try to save students still believed alive.
11) The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the wreckage.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
15) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
16) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
17) ``May God save us from the worst,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he hoped ``our children under the debris will be saved as soon as possible.''
18) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis.
19) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
20) The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside the hospital.
21) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents.
22) The Red Crescent had already sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
23) Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were all headed to the area from Ankara.
24) More than 100 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5. The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
25) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
26) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
27) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.
28) (ea-ht)


URGENT Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0128)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from under the debris.
3) Industry Minister Ali Coskun said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed, the industry minister said in Bingol. At least 69 children had been rescued, private television NTV reported.
5) Five students were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
6) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
7) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
9) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. Dozens of aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
10) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris to try to save surviving students.
11) The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the wreckage.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
15) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
16) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
17) ``May God save us from the worst,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference in Ankara. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he hoped ``our children under the debris will be saved as soon as possible.''
18) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
19) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
20) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents.
21) The Red Crescent had already sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
22) Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were all headed to the area from Ankara.
23) More than 100 aftershocks struck the area, including one with a magnitude 5. The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
24) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
25) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
26) Ruptures in the fault caused two quakes in August 1999 that killed 18,000 people and devastated large parts of northwestern Turkey.
27) (ea-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0138)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from under the debris.
3) Industry Minister Ali Coskun said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed, the industry minister said in Bingol. At least 69 children had been rescued, private television NTV reported.
5) Five students were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
6) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
7) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
9) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
10) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris to try to save surviving students.
11) The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the wreckage.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
15) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
16) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after visiting the quake area. He said that the proper inspections had not been carried out and shoddy material had been used to build the school.
17) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' said Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, who described the school as a ``terrible construction.'' Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
18) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
19) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
20) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
21) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents.
22) The Red Crescent had already sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported.
23) Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were all headed to the area from Ankara.
24) The temblor also was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
25) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
26) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
27) ea-za-ht/


Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0141)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from under the debris.
3) Industry Minister Ali Coskun said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed, the industry minister said in Bingol. At least 69 children had been rescued, private television NTV reported.
5) Five students were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
6) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
7) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
9) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area and cut off electricity. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
10) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris to try to save surviving students.
11) The Anatolia news agency said voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Eleven-year-old Mustafa Gunala said he was saved by the school's janitor who guided him and a group of students out of the wreckage.
13) ``I didn't understand what happened. I saw the ceiling coming toward me,'' Gunala told Anatolia.
14) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
15) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
16) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
17) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
18) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
19) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
20) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
21) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
22) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
23) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
24) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
25) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
26) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
27) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
28) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0173)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from under the debris of the boys school, while hundreds of terrified parents prayed and screamed waiting for news of their children.
3) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the estimated death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed in the village of Celtiksuyu, Industry Minister Ali Goskun said. At least 69 children had been rescued, emergency workers said.
5) Five students and one teacher were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
6) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
7) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
9) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
10) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
11) Voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent hundreds of desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
13) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
14) His elder brother, Sami Gencgul, had two sons in the school. His son Muslum, 14, is still missing.
15) ``We never expected something like this would happen. We sent our kids here because there are no cars in our village,'' said Gencgul. ``Muslum is a good boy.''
16) TV footage showed a soldier carrying a boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
17) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
18) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
19) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
20) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
21) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
22) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
23) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
24) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
25) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
26) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
27) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
28) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
29) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people. ea-za-ht


Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0178)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from the debris of the boys' school. Hundreds of terrified parents prayed and screamed, waiting for news of their children.
3) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue 118 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed in the village of Celtiksuyu, Industry Minister Ali Goskun said. At least 69 children had been rescued, emergency workers said.
5) Five students and one teacher were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
6) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
7) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
8) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
9) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
10) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
11) Voices of the trapped children could be heard from under the debris, while soldiers tried to prevent desperate relatives from approaching the collapsed building.
12) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
13) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
14) TV footage showed a soldier carrying another boy from the school's wreckage, amid cheers from onlookers. The boy could be heard shouting, ``Father!''
15) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
16) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' Gunala's father, Abdullah Gunala said.
17) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
18) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
19) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
20) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
21) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
22) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
23) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
24) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
25) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
26) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
27) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
28) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0209)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from the debris of the boys' school. Hundreds of terrified parents prayed and screamed, waiting for news of their children.
3) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue more than 100 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed in the village of Celtiksuyu. By midday Thursday 72 children were rescued, said rescue worker Muhsin Balgi.
5) Balgi said the voices of children screaming could be heard from the debris.
6) ``We hope another 50 students will be saved,'' Balgi said, adding that many were feared dead. The headmaster said 198 students were in the school, when the quake crashed down as they slept.
7) Five students and one teacher were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
8) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
9) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
10) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents. Bingol is a largely rural poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered for years from the fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
11) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
12) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
13) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
14) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
15) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Most of the children, aged 7 to 16, are sons of poor farmers from nearby villages that do not have schools and are difficult of access.
16) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
17) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' said Abdullah Gunala, the father of a rescued student.
18) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
19) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
20) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
21) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
22) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
23) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
24) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
25) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
26) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
27) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
28) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
29) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills at least 84 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0220)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least 84 people and injuring 390 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for more than 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from the debris of the boys' school. Hundreds of terrified parents prayed and screamed, waiting for news of their children.
3) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least 84 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the death toll could be 150 throughout the region.
4) Crews were working to rescue more than 100 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed in the village of Celtiksuyu. By midday Thursday, 72 children were rescued, said rescue worker Muhsin Balgi.
5) Balgi said the voices of children screaming could be heard from the debris.
6) ``We hope another 50 students will be saved,'' Balgi said, adding that many were feared dead. The headmaster said 198 students _ aged 7 to 16 _ were sleeping in the dormitory when the quake hit.
7) Five students and one teacher were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
8) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
9) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
10) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents. Bingol is a largely rural poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered for years from the fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
11) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region, and rescue workers were unable to reach many villages.
12) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the debris with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
13) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
14) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
15) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Most of the children are sons of poor farmers from nearby villages that do not have schools and are difficult of access.
16) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
17) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' said Abdullah Gunala, the father of a rescued student.
18) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
19) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
20) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
21) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
22) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
23) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
24) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
25) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 3,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, Anatolia reported. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
26) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingol, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
27) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
28) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
29) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0324)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring 1,000 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for up to 100 children believed trapped.
2) Several dozen children had already been saved from the debris of the school. Hundreds of terrified parents prayed and screamed, waiting for news of their children.
3) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the death toll could be 150 throughout the region. Sevket Turan of municipality of Bingol, where the quake was centered, said 90 people were dead and close 1,000 were injured.
4) Crews were working to rescue up to 100 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed in the village of Celtiksuyu. By midday Thursday, 72 children were rescued, said rescue worker Muhsin Balgi.
5) Balgi said the voices of children screaming could be heard from the debris.
6) ``We hope another 50 students will be saved,'' Balgi said, adding that many were feared dead. The headmaster said 198 students _ aged 7 to 16 _ were sleeping in the dormitory when the quake hit. Most of the students were sons of poor farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult of access.
7) Five students and one teacher were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
8) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued from the debris.
9) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
10) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents. Bingol is a largely rural poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered for years from the fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
11) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region.
12) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the huge concrete slabs and tangled steel with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
13) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
14) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
15) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved.
16) Parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
17) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' said Abdullah Gunala, the father of a rescued student.
18) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
19) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
20) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
21) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
22) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
23) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
24) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
25) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, rescue authorities said. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
26) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
27) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
28) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
29) (ea-za-ht


Strong quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0332)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring 1,000 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for dozens of children believed trapped.
2) More than 70 children had already been saved from the debris of the school. Terrified parents prayed and screamed, waiting for news.
3) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the death toll could be 150 throughout the region. City official Sevket Turan in Bingol, where the quake was centered, said 90 people were dead and close to 1,000 injured.
4) Crews were working to rescue up to 100 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed in the village of Celtiksuyu. By midday Thursday, 72 children had been rescued, said rescue worker Muhsin Balgi.
5) Balgi said the voices of children screaming could be heard from the debris.
6) ``We hope another 50 students will be saved,'' Balgi said, adding that many were feared dead.
7) Some 198 students _ aged 7 to 16 _ were sleeping in the dormitory when the quake hit before dawn. Most of the students were sons of poor farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to access, leading many to sleep overnight there.
8) Five students and one teacher were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
9) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued.
10) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
11) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
12) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered for years from fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
13) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region.
14) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the huge concrete slabs and tangled steel with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
15) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
16) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
17) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved.
18) Meantime, parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
19) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' said Abdullah Gunala, the father of a rescued student.
20) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
21) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
22) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
23) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
24) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
25) Bingol's state hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
26) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
27) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, rescue authorities said. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
28) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
29) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
30) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
31) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0357)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring 1,000 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for dozens of children believed trapped.
2) More than 70 children had already been saved from the debris of the school. Terrified parents prayed and screamed, waiting for news.
3) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the death toll could be 150 throughout the region. City official Sevket Turan in Bingol, where the quake was centered, said 90 people were dead and close to 1,000 injured.
4) Crews were working to rescue up to 100 primary and middle school students still buried under the four-story dormitory that collapsed in the village of Celtiksuyu. By midday Thursday, 72 children had been rescued, said rescue worker Muhsin Balgi.
5) Balgi said the voices of children screaming could be heard from the debris.
6) ``We hope another 50 students will be saved,'' Balgi said, adding that many were feared dead.
7) Some 198 students _ aged 7 to 16 _ were sleeping in the dormitory when the quake hit before dawn. Most of the students were sons of poor Kurdish farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to access, leading many to sleep overnight there.
8) Five students and one teacher were found dead, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said.
9) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued.
10) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
11) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
12) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered for years from fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
13) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region.
14) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the huge concrete slabs and tangled steel with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
15) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
16) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
17) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Women, some barely speaking Turkish, wailed and prayed for their children.
18) Meantime, parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
19) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' said Abdullah Gunala, the father of a rescued student.
20) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
21) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
22) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
23) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
24) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
25) Bingol's state hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
26) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
27) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents.
28) ``Many will have to spend the night on the streets because they cannot enter their buildings,'' Karaaslan said.
29) The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, rescue authorities said. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
30) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
31) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
32) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
33) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0389)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring 1,000 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for dozens of children believed trapped.
2) More than 70 children had already been saved from the debris of the school. Terrified parents prayed and screamed, waiting for news.
3) Rescuers found the bodies of 11 children and one teacher in the rubble of the dormitory, said an official at the emergency center coordinating rescue operations.
4) A civil defense official at the site said that they had located at least eight children alive under the rubble. One child had his feet crushed, but the others were in good condition and had received water from rescuers, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
5) By midday Thursday, 72 children had been rescued, said rescue worker Muhsin Balci.
6) The officials said they were still holding out hope to find more survivors. Rescue workers were still searching for up to 90 children that were unaccounted for.
7) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed, while Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the death toll could be 150 throughout the region. City official Sevket Turan in Bingol, where the quake was centered, said 90 people were dead and close to 1,000 injured.
8) Balgi said the voices of children screaming could be heard from the debris.
9) ``We hope another 50 students will be saved,'' Balgi said, adding that many were feared dead.
10) Some 198 students _ aged 7 to 16 _ were sleeping in the dormitory when the quake hit before dawn. Most of the students were sons of poor Kurdish farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to access, leading many to sleep overnight there.
11) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued.
12) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
13) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
14) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered for years from fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
15) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region.
16) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the huge concrete slabs and tangled steel with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
17) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
18) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
19) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Women wailed and prayed for their children.
20) Meantime, parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
21) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' said Abdullah Gunala, the father of a rescued student.
22) Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
23) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
24) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
25) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
26) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
27) Bingol's state hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
28) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
29) The Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said the city also needed more large tents.
30) ``Many will have to spend the night on the streets because they cannot enter their buildings,'' Karaaslan said.
31) The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, rescue authorities said. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
32) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
33) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
34) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
35) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Strong quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey; scores of children trapped in collapsed dormitory
(APW_ENG_20030501.0407)
1) A strong earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Thursday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring 1,000 others. Rescuers dug frantically in the rubble of a school dormitory, hunting for dozens of children believed trapped.
2) Some 72 children had already been saved from the debris. But about 90 were unaccounted for, and terrified parents prayed and screamed as they waited for news.
3) A rescue worker said the voices of children screaming could be heard from the debris. ``We hope another 50 students will be saved,'' Muhsin Balci said.
4) At least eight children had been located alive but still under the rubble, according to a civil defense official at the site. One of them had his feet crushed, but the others were in good condition.
5) Rescuers also found the bodies of 11 children and one teacher in the rubble, emergency officials said.
6) ``My friends are waiting for help in there. They were calling for help as they were pulling me out,'' 12-year-old Veysel Dagdelen was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after he was rescued.
7) Some 198 students _ aged 7 to 16 _ were sleeping in the dormitory when the quake hit. Most of the students were sons of poor Kurdish farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to access, leading many to sleep overnight there.
8) The magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday and was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, the Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said.
9) Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen said the total death toll could be 150 throughout the Bingol area.
10) At least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed in the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, the mayor said. Damage could be seen throughout the city, where the streets were filled with terrified residents.
11) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered for years from fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
12) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 100 aftershocks hit the region.
13) At the remnants of the school dorm, soldiers, rescuers and locals worked their way through the huge concrete slabs and tangled steel with cranes and jackhammers to try to save surviving students. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
14) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
15) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
16) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Women wailed and prayed for their children.
17) Meantime, parents questioned the quality of the school's construction.
18) ``The stable I built did not collapse, but the school did,'' said Abdullah Gunala, the father of a rescued student.
19) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the quake area, and said proper inspections had not been carried out and that shoddy material had been used to build the school.
20) ``Investigations will be launched and the guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
21) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
22) Nazim Karabulut, a resident of Bingol, described the school as a ``terrible construction.''
23) ``Nobody ever learned their lessons,'' he said.
24) Bingol's state hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
25) ``We need every kind of help,'' said Ilhan Cokabay, chief doctor at the hospital. ``Medical supplies, people, whatever.''
26) The Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan said the city also needed more large tents.
27) ``Many will have to spend the night on the streets because they cannot enter their buildings,'' Karaaslan said.
28) The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances, and four tons of food supplies, rescue authorities said. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
29) The temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
30) The quake lasted 17 seconds, said Gulay Barbarasoglu of the Istanbul observatory.
31) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
32) (ea-za-ht/tr)


Rescuers dig to find close to 100 children trapped in collapsed dormitory after strong quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030501.0438)
1) Rescuers dug through huge slabs of concrete and tangled steel in the remains of a collapsed four-story school dormitory where about 100 children were trapped since a strong quake struck Turkey's impoverished east Thursday killing nearly 100.
2) Hundreds of Kurdish women prayed and wailed as they waited for news of their children buried under the remains of the building that officials and parents described as poorly built.
3) Many charged that no lessons were learned from past earthquakes, with shoddy buildings without reinforcements allowed to stand in quake-prone regions.
4) ``This building is made out of dirt,'' said Remzi Sonmez standing in front of the collapsed dormatory where his 8-year-old son Ilhami was trapped. ``If they had spent more money it would not have happened. Everyone is going to die, but this shouldn't be because someone is using cheap material on our children's school.''
5) The dormatory of the co-educational boarding school collapsed when the magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck around 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday. The quake was centered just outside the city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
6) The students, aged 7 to 16, were asleep when the tremor hit. By Thursday evening, 72 children were rescued, and rescue teams pulled out the bodies of 12 of children and one teacher. Up to 90 children were still unaccounted for.
7) Soldiers, rescuers and locals lifted huge concrete slabs with cranes and jackhammers to try to save survivors. Some just used their bare hands.
8) Aid teams were trying to pull out eight other children whom they had located and given water to. One of them had crushed feet but the others were in good condition, a rescue worker said.
9) Husnu Genc, saved after spending 16 hours in the rubble, said two of his friends were still alive in the debris.
10) The four-story building had sandwiched into two floors after the collapse. Steel bunk beds and steel closets helped hold up some of the walls of the school, saving many lives, rescuers said.
11) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who rushed to the region Thursday, said nearly 100 people were killed. He said the government would investigate those responsible for the building's construction.
12) ``The guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
13) Some Cabinet ministers said politicians had to accept part of the responsibility for the building's collapse.
14) ``We are responsible of the deaths and we need to take measures,'' Culture Minister Erkan Mumcu said. ``(Earthquakes) happen all around the world... but no country in the world loses as many people to quakes as Turkey.''
15) ``Our biggest mistake is that we have a very bad memory. We forget disasters easily,'' said Guldal Aksit, the minister responsible for family affairs. Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
16) In a sign that some of the parents were giving up hope, Cevriye Bartir, the mother of missing 15-year-old Sinan, sat on the step of a fire truck and sang a Kurdish mourning song.
17) ``My dead son, let me be sacrificed instead,'' she sobbed.
18) Other parents prayed and screamed. Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved.
19) Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
20) Most of the students were sons of poor farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult of access.
21) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
22) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
23) In the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, at least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed. Bingol is a largely rural poor area in the predominantly Kurdish east and southeast that suffered for years from the fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
24) The earthquake damaged power and telephone lines in the area. More than 200 aftershocks hit the region.
25) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help to deal with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
26) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, food as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
27) The 17-second temblor was felt in the nearby provinces of Erzincan, Tunceli, Erzurum, Kayseri and Sivas.
28) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people. sf-ht


Rescuers hunt for buried children after quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030501.0459)
1) Rescuers hunted under huge slabs of concrete and through tangled steel Thursday for dozens of children trapped in the rubble of a demolished school dormitory after a powerful quake killed nearly 100 people in Turkey's impoverished east.
2) Workers trying to pry free the students said they heard the screams from under the debris.
3) Some 72 children had been saved by Thursday evening, while the bodies of 12 children and a teacher were recovered. Up to 90 children were still unaccounted for, and terrified parents prayed and wailed as they waited for news.
4) A few appeared to be giving up hope. Cevriye Bartir, the mother of missing 15-year-old Sinan, sat on the step of a fire truck and sang a Kurdish mourning song.
5) ``My dead son, let me be sacrificed instead,'' she sobbed.
6) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued boy was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
7) Some 198 students, aged 7 to 16, were inside the co-educational primary and middle boarding school in this small town when the 6.4-magnitude quake hit at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday. The epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
8) More than 200 aftershocks hit the region after the initial 17-second temblor. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed in the region; local officials said 1,000 were injured.
9) Many parents complained that no lessons had been learned from past deadly earthquakes in Turkey, with shoddy buildings without reinforcements allowed to stand in quake-prone regions.
10) ``This building is made out of dirt,'' said Remzi Sonmez standing in front of the collapsed dormitory where his 8-year-old son Ilhami was trapped.
11) ``If they had spent more money it would not have happened. Everyone is going to die, but this shouldn't be because someone is using cheap material on our children's school.''
12) Soldiers, rescuers and locals lifted huge concrete slabs with cranes and jackhammers to try to save survivors. Some used their bare hands.
13) Aid teams were trying to pull out eight children they had found alive and provided with water. One of them had crushed feet but the others were in good condition, a rescue worker said.
14) The four-story building collapsed into two floors in the quake. Steel bunk beds and steel closets helped hold up some of the walls of the school, saving many lives, rescuers said.
15) Erdogan, who rushed to the region Thursday, said the government would investigate those responsible for the building's construction. ``The guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
16) Some Cabinet ministers said politicians had to accept part of the responsibility for the building's collapse.
17) ``We are responsible of the deaths and we need to take measures,'' Culture Minister Erkan Mumcu said.
18) Earthquakes happen all around the globe, Mumcu said _ ``but no country in the world loses as many people to quakes as Turkey.''
19) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
20) In the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, at least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed, while power and telephone lines in the area were damaged.
21) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered years of fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
22) Most of the students in this town were sons of farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult of access, leading many to live in the dorms.
23) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
24) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
25) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help in dealing with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
26) The mayor said the city also needed more large tents. The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, food as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
27) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
28) (sf-ht-za/tr)


Rescuers hunt for buried children after quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030501.0519)
1) Rescuers hunted under huge slabs of concrete and through tangled steel Thursday for dozens of children trapped in the rubble of a demolished school dormitory after a powerful quake killed nearly 100 people in Turkey's impoverished east.
2) Workers trying to pry free the students said they heard the screams from under the debris.
3) Of the 198 students in the school, 93 had been saved by Thursday evening, while the bodies of 14 children and a teacher were recovered, said Sevket Ozbay a spokesman for the government's crisis center. Another 91 children were still unaccounted for, and terrified parents prayed and wailed as they waited for news.
4) A few appeared to be giving up hope. Cevriye Bartir, the mother of missing 15-year-old Sinan, sat on the step of a fire truck and sang a Kurdish mourning song.
5) ``My dead son, let me be sacrificed instead,'' she sobbed.
6) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued child was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
7) Students, aged 7 to 16, were inside the co-educational primary and middle boarding school in this small town when the 6.4-magnitude quake hit at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday. The epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
8) More than 200 aftershocks hit the region after the initial 17-second temblor. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed in the region; local officials said 1,000 were injured.
9) Many parents complained that no lessons had been learned from past deadly earthquakes in Turkey, with shoddy buildings without reinforcements allowed to stand in quake-prone regions.
10) ``This building is made out of dirt,'' said Remzi Sonmez standing in front of the collapsed dormitory where his 8-year-old son Ilhami was trapped.
11) ``If they had spent more money it would not have happened. Everyone is going to die, but this shouldn't be because someone is using cheap material on our children's school.''
12) Soldiers, rescuers and locals lifted huge concrete slabs with cranes and jackhammers to try to save survivors. Some used their bare hands.
13) The four-story building collapsed into two floors in the quake. Steel bunk beds and steel closets helped hold up some of the walls of the school, saving many lives, rescuers said.
14) Erdogan, who rushed to the region Thursday, said the government would investigate those responsible for the building's construction. ``The guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
15) Some Cabinet ministers said politicians had to accept part of the responsibility for the building's collapse.
16) ``We are responsible for the deaths and we need to take measures,'' Culture Minister Erkan Mumcu said.
17) Earthquakes happen all around the globe, Mumcu said _ ``but no country in the world loses as many people to quakes as Turkey.''
18) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
19) In the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, at least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed, while power and telephone lines in the area were damaged.
20) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered years of fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
21) Most of the students in this town were sons of farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to access, leading many to live in the dorms. There were two victims among the 24 girls at the school.
22) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
23) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
24) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help in dealing with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
25) The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, food as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
26) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.


Rescuers hunt for buried children after quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030501.0520)
1) Rescuers hunted under huge slabs of concrete and through tangled steel Thursday for dozens of children trapped in the rubble of a demolished school dormitory after a powerful quake killed nearly 100 people in Turkey's impoverished east.
2) Workers trying to pry free the students said they heard the screams from under the debris.
3) Of the 198 students in the school, 93 had been saved by Thursday evening, while the bodies of 14 children and a teacher were recovered, said Sevket Ozbay a spokesman for the government's crisis center. Another 91 children were still unaccounted for, and terrified parents prayed and wailed as they waited for news.
4) A few appeared to be giving up hope. Cevriye Bartir, the mother of missing 15-year-old Sinan, sat on the step of a fire truck and sang a Kurdish mourning song.
5) ``My dead son, let me be sacrificed instead,'' she sobbed.
6) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued child was carried out on a stretcher to check if their children had been saved. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
7) Students, aged 7 to 16, were inside the co-educational primary and middle boarding school in this small town when the 6.4-magnitude quake hit at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday. The epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
8) More than 200 aftershocks hit the region after the initial 17-second temblor. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed in the region; local officials said 1,000 were injured.
9) Many parents complained that no lessons had been learned from past deadly earthquakes in Turkey, with shoddy buildings without reinforcements allowed to stand in quake-prone regions.
10) ``This building is made out of dirt,'' said Remzi Sonmez standing in front of the collapsed dormitory where his 8-year-old son Ilhami was trapped.
11) ``If they had spent more money it would not have happened. Everyone is going to die, but this shouldn't be because someone is using cheap material on our children's school.''
12) Soldiers, rescuers and locals lifted huge concrete slabs with cranes and jackhammers to try to save survivors. Some used their bare hands.
13) The four-story building collapsed into two floors in the quake. Steel bunk beds and steel closets helped hold up some of the walls of the school, saving many lives, rescuers said.
14) Erdogan, who rushed to the region Thursday, said the government would investigate those responsible for the building's construction. ``The guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
15) Some Cabinet ministers said politicians had to accept part of the responsibility for the building's collapse.
16) ``We are responsible for the deaths and we need to take measures,'' Culture Minister Erkan Mumcu said.
17) Earthquakes happen all around the globe, Mumcu said _ ``but no country in the world loses as many people to quakes as Turkey.''
18) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
19) In the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, at least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed, while power and telephone lines in the area were damaged.
20) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered years of fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
21) Most of the students in this town were sons of farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to access, leading many to live in the dorms. There were two victims among the 24 girls at the school.
22) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
23) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
24) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help in dealing with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
25) The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, food as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
26) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.


Rescuers hunt for buried children after quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030501.0574)
1) Rescuers hunted under huge slabs of concrete and through tangled steel Thursday for dozens of children trapped in the rubble of a demolished school dormitory after a powerful quake killed nearly 100 people in Turkey's impoverished east.
2) Workers trying to pry free the students said they heard screams from under the debris.
3) Of the 198 students in the school, 93 had been saved by Thursday evening, while the bodies of 21 children and a teacher were recovered, government officials announced through loudspeakers at the scene. Another 84 children were still unaccounted for, and terrified parents prayed and wailed as they waited for news.
4) A few appeared to be giving up hope. Cevriye Bartir, the mother of missing 15-year-old Sinan, sat on the step of a fire truck and sang a Kurdish mourning song.
5) ``My dead son, let me be sacrificed instead,'' she sobbed.
6) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued child was carried out on a stretcher to check if their son or daughter had been saved. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
7) Students, aged 7 to 16, were inside the co-educational primary and middle boarding school in this small town when the 6.4-magnitude quake hit at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday. The epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
8) More than 200 aftershocks hit the region after the initial 17-second temblor. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed in the region; local officials said 1,000 were injured.
9) Many parents complained that no lessons had been learned from past deadly earthquakes in Turkey, with shoddy buildings without reinforcements allowed to stand in quake-prone regions.
10) ``This building is made out of dirt,'' said Remzi Sonmez standing in front of the collapsed dormitory where his 8-year-old son Ilhami was trapped.
11) ``If they had spent more money it would not have happened. Everyone is going to die, but this shouldn't be because someone is using cheap material on our children's school.''
12) Soldiers, rescuers and locals lifted huge concrete slabs with cranes and jackhammers to try to save survivors. Some used their bare hands.
13) The four-story building collapsed into two floors in the quake. Steel bunk beds and steel closets helped hold up some of the walls of the school, saving many lives, rescuers said.
14) Erdogan, who rushed to the region Thursday, said the government would investigate those responsible for the building's construction. ``The guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
15) Some Cabinet ministers said politicians had to accept part of the responsibility for the building's collapse.
16) ``We are responsible for the deaths and we need to take measures,'' Culture Minister Erkan Mumcu said.
17) Earthquakes happen all around the globe, Mumcu said _ ``but no country in the world loses as many people to quakes as Turkey.''
18) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
19) In the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, at least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed, while power and telephone lines in the area were damaged.
20) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered years of fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
21) Most of the students in this town were sons of farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to reach, leading many to live in the dorms. There were three victims among the 24 girls at the school.
22) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
23) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
24) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help in dealing with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
25) The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, food as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
26) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.


Rescuers hunt for buried children after quake kills nearly 100 in Turkey
(APW_ENG_20030501.0576)
1) Rescuers hunted under huge slabs of concrete and through tangled steel Thursday for dozens of children trapped in the rubble of a demolished school dormitory after a powerful quake killed nearly 100 people in Turkey's impoverished east.
2) Workers trying to pry free the students said they heard screams from under the debris.
3) Of the 198 students in the school, 93 had been saved by Thursday evening, while the bodies of 21 children and a teacher were recovered, government officials announced through loudspeakers at the scene. Another 84 children were still unaccounted for, and terrified parents prayed and wailed as they waited for news.
4) A few appeared to be giving up hope. Cevriye Bartir, the mother of missing 15-year-old Sinan, sat on the step of a fire truck and sang a Kurdish mourning song.
5) ``My dead son, let me be sacrificed instead,'' she sobbed.
6) Relatives rushed toward soldiers every time a rescued child was carried out on a stretcher to check if their son or daughter had been saved. Many students were being treated for their injuries on mattresses laid out near the flattened building.
7) Students, aged 7 to 16, were inside the co-educational primary and middle boarding school in this small town when the 6.4-magnitude quake hit at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) Thursday. The epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
8) More than 200 aftershocks hit the region after the initial 17-second temblor. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people were killed in the region; local officials said 1,000 were injured.
9) Many parents complained that no lessons had been learned from past deadly earthquakes in Turkey, with shoddy buildings without reinforcements allowed to stand in quake-prone regions.
10) ``This building is made out of dirt,'' said Remzi Sonmez standing in front of the collapsed dormitory where his 8-year-old son Ilhami was trapped.
11) ``If they had spent more money it would not have happened. Everyone is going to die, but this shouldn't be because someone is using cheap material on our children's school.''
12) Soldiers, rescuers and locals lifted huge concrete slabs with cranes and jackhammers to try to save survivors. Some used their bare hands.
13) The four-story building collapsed into two floors in the quake. Steel bunk beds and steel closets helped hold up some of the walls of the school, saving many lives, rescuers said.
14) Erdogan, who rushed to the region Thursday, said the government would investigate those responsible for the building's construction. ``The guilty will be prosecuted,'' he said.
15) Some Cabinet ministers said politicians had to accept part of the responsibility for the building's collapse.
16) ``We are responsible for the deaths and we need to take measures,'' Culture Minister Erkan Mumcu said.
17) Earthquakes happen all around the globe, Mumcu said _ ``but no country in the world loses as many people to quakes as Turkey.''
18) Thousands of poorly built buildings collapsed when two massive earthquakes struck western Turkey in 1999, killing some 18,000 people.
19) In the center of Bingol, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, at least 25 buildings and a bridge collapsed, while power and telephone lines in the area were damaged.
20) Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered years of fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels.
21) Most of the students in this town were sons of farmers from surrounding villages that don't have schools and are difficult to reach, leading many to live in the dorms. There were three victims among the 24 girls at the school.
22) Naim Gencgul, a 15-year-old boy, was pulled out of the rubble with a broken arm.
23) ``The whole building was on top of me. We all started screaming,'' he said.
24) Doctors at Bingol's state hospital appealed for help in dealing with the crisis. The hospital was seriously damaged in the quake and scores of injured were being treated outside.
25) The Red Crescent sent 2,100 tents, 13,000 blankets, food as well as mobile kitchens, generators, ambulances. Soldiers, emergency workers and mountaineers with rescue experience were also headed to the area.
26) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies on the active North Anatolian fault. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.



2003-05-02
Rescuers work against time searching for children trapped by deadly Turkish earthquake
(APW_ENG_20030502.0094)
1) Noisy equipment fell silent as searchers listened Friday for any sign of life under a flattened school dormitory where about 70 children remained trapped since a strong earthquake rocked eastern Turkey.
2) Working against time, the rescuers hoped to reach them alive and one boy was rescued Friday morning after spending more than 30 hours under the rubble.
3) Rescuers applauded as Enef Gunce, apparently with only slight injuries, was carried down on a stretcher and quickly put in ambulance.
4) But hopes were beginning to fade as the bodies of 40 children were found.
5) ``I have been sitting here since yesterday morning,'' said Gazal Gunalan, whose 15-year-old son Mehmet was buried under the rubble. ``At the beginning I was expecting him to come out alive ... now I'm waiting for his body.''
6) Meanwhile, tensions rose in Bingol where police fired shots with automatic M-16s in the air to disperse a crowd of up to 1,000 people protesting the lack of tents and other aid.
7) Several people were injured in the protest after a police van sped through the crowd. Some were injured by flying stones, private televisions CNN-Turk and NTV reported.
8) Hundreds of aftershocks have hit the region since the initial 17-second temblor, leaving thousands who refuse to enter their homes stranded in the streets.
9) The Turkish Red Crescent has sent 3,700 tents and 13,000 blankets to the region, but Sevket Ozbay, an official at the emergency desk said 10,000 more tents were needed, along with food and drinking water.
10) The quake's epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara. Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered years of fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels. The rebel war left a deep distrust between Kurds and Turkish security forces.
11) Bingol's governor Huseyin Avni Cos said the official toll on Friday stood at 105. About 1,000 people were injured in the quake.
12) At the school, rescuers found five children alive and 12 dead overnight.
13) Major Oguz Tozak, in charge of a rescue team at the school, said he feared up to two-thirds of the students still trapped may be dead.
14) ``I saw an entire dormitory ward squashed under the ceiling with at least eight children crushed to death inside,'' said rescuer Semsettin Sayan Friday morning.
15) Intermittently, rescuers turned off generators and lights to scan the rubble with sensitive microphones to detect any sounds. Sniffer dogs climbed on the debris hunting for survivors.
16) Rescuers dug a passage from the basement through the rubble to the flattened third floor where two children were believed to be alive. But no one was found there.
17) Rescue workers used children's blankets to carry debris from the collapsed building and notebooks and school books were scattered across the site.
18) The 198 students in the dorm, ages 7 to 16, were asleep when the magnitude 6.4 quake struck early Thursday morning and collapsed the Celtiksuyu boarding school. So far, 90 were rescued alive from the rubble, leaving about 70 still unaccounted for.
19) Hundreds of people, most of them relatives of the missing students, kept vigil near the rubble, wailing and praying under the floodlights used to keep up the search through the night.
20) The building's collapse again focused attention on poor construction methods which have been blamed for heavy death tolls in previous quakes in Turkey.
21) Nihat Ozdemir head of the Turkish Contractors' Union said contractors were not being inspected carefully, while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to prosecute those responsible for shoddy construction.
22) ``They stole these children's lives,'' headlined daily Milliyet, reporting that the material used to built the school was outdated.
23) The primary and middle boarding school was built in 1999 mainly for the children of farmers from surrounding villages that have no schools and poor transportation services. It also represented the hope for a better future for the children of poor Kurds, who are often illiterate.
24) ``My son always said 'I don't want to stay uneducated like you Dad. I want a different life,''' said Nihat Bezekci, whose 11-year-old son Ahmet was still trapped in the building. ``If I had been able, I wish I had sent him to a better school, not here.''
25) Bezekci said he tried to keep his hopes up all night.
26) ``But now my hopes have totally collapsed. I suppose God had written his destiny,'' said the Kurdish farmer.
27) Much of the country sits atop the active North Anatolian fault and tremors are frequent. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.
28) jh-ea-ht


Rescuers work against time searching for children trapped by deadly Turkish earthquake
(APW_ENG_20030502.0100)
1) Noisy equipment fell silent as searchers listened Friday for any sign of life under a flattened school dormitory where about 70 children remained trapped since a strong earthquake rocked eastern Turkey.
2) Working against time, the rescuers hoped to reach them alive and one boy was rescued Friday morning after spending more than 30 hours under the rubble.
3) Rescuers applauded as Enef Gunce, apparently with only slight injuries, was carried down on a stretcher and quickly put in ambulance.
4) But hopes were beginning to fade as the bodies of 40 children were found.
5) ``I have been sitting here since yesterday morning,'' said Gazal Gunalan, whose 15-year-old son Mehmet was buried under the rubble. ``At the beginning I was expecting him to come out alive ... now I'm waiting for his body.''
6) Meanwhile, tensions rose in Bingol where police fired shots in the air with automatic M-16s to disperse a crowd of up to 1,000 people protesting the lack of tents and other aid.
7) Several people were injured in the protest after a police van sped through the crowd. Some were injured by flying stones, private televisions CNN-Turk and NTV reported.
8) Hundreds of aftershocks have hit the region since the initial 17-second temblor, leaving thousands who refuse to enter their homes stranded in the streets.
9) The Turkish Red Crescent has sent 3,700 tents and 13,000 blankets to the region, but Sevket Ozbay, an official at the emergency desk said 10,000 more tents were needed, along with food and drinking water.
10) The quake's epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara. Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish southeast that suffered years of fierce fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish autonomy-seeking rebels. The rebel war left a deep distrust between Kurds and Turkish security forces.
11) Bingol's governor Huseyin Avni Cos said the official toll on Friday stood at 105. About 1,000 people were injured in the quake.
12) At the school, rescuers found five children alive and 12 dead overnight.
13) Major Oguz Tozak, in charge of a rescue team at the school, said he feared up to two-thirds of the students still trapped may be dead.
14) ``I saw an entire dormitory ward squashed under the ceiling with at least eight children crushed to death inside,'' said rescuer Semsettin Sayan Friday morning.
15) Intermittently, rescuers turned off generators and lights to scan the rubble with sensitive microphones to detect any sounds. Sniffer dogs climbed on the debris hunting for survivors.
16) Rescuers dug a passage from the basement through the rubble to the flattened third floor where two children were believed to be alive. But no one was found there.
17) Rescue workers used children's blankets to carry debris from the collapsed building and notebooks and school books were scattered across the site.
18) The 198 students in the dorm, ages 7 to 16, were asleep when the magnitude 6.4 quake struck early Thursday morning and collapsed the Celtiksuyu boarding school. So far, 90 were rescued alive from the rubble, leaving about 70 still unaccounted for.
19) Hundreds of people, most of them relatives of the missing students, kept vigil near the rubble, wailing and praying under the floodlights used to keep up the search through the night.
20) The building's collapse again focused attention on poor construction methods that have been blamed for heavy death tolls in previous quakes in Turkey.
21) Nihat Ozdemir head of the Turkish Contractors' Union said contractors were not being inspected carefully, while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to prosecute those responsible for shoddy construction.
22) ``They stole these children's lives,'' headlined the newspaper Milliyet, reporting that the material used to built the school was outdated.
23) The primary and middle boarding school was built in 1999 mainly for the children of farmers from surrounding villages that have no schools and poor transportation services. It also represented the hope for a better future for the children of poor Kurds, who are often illiterate.
24) ``My son always said 'I don't want to stay uneducated like you Dad. I want a different life,''' said Nihat Bezekci, whose 11-year-old son Ahmet was still trapped in the building. ``If I had been able, I wish I had sent him to a better school, not here.''
25) Bezekci said he tried to keep his hopes up all night.
26) ``But now my hopes have totally collapsed. I suppose God had written his destiny,'' said the Kurdish farmer.
27) Much of the country sits atop the active North Anatolian fault and tremors are frequent. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.


Rescuers work against time searching for children trapped by deadly Turkish earthquake
(APW_ENG_20030502.0136)
1) Violent clashes erupted between police and local Kurds over aid shortage on Friday as rescue workers kept up their search for about 70 children trapped in a dormitory flattened by a strong earthquake that killed 100 in eastern Turkey.
2) Policemen opened fire with automatic rifles in the air after hundreds of protesters destroyed police cars and anti-personnel vehicles, private television NTV reported. Some protesters ripped large stones from the paved streets and threw them at security forces and at the governor's building.
3) Two paramilitary police and three reporters were injured from flying stones, the Anatolia news agency reported.
4) The clashes erupted after police failed to disperse a crowd calling for the resignation of the governor and attempted to enter the governor's building, officials said. Several demonstrators were injured by a speeding police van which drove through the crowd. Police had fired into the air for several minutes.
5) There is a deep distrust between Kurds and security forces in Turkey's east after a 15-year Kurdish rebel war and ensuing government crackdown left 37,000 dead and millions displaced.
6) Bingol Governor Huseyin Avni Cos said Kurdish rebels were taking advantage of the quake to raise tensions, but admitted that security forces may have overreacted.
7) Demonstrators were protesting Cos for failing to provide them with tents, food and water.
8) In sharp contrast, everything fell quiet for a few moments at the site of the collapsed dormitory in the village of Celtiksuyu as searchers listened for any sign of life under the rubble.
9) Working against time, the rescuers hoped to reach them alive and one boy was rescued Friday morning after spending more than 30 hours under the rubble.
10) Rescuers applauded as Enef Gunce, apparently with only slight injuries, was carried down on a stretcher and quickly put in ambulance.
11) But hopes were beginning to fade as the bodies of 40 children were found.
12) ``I have been sitting here since yesterday morning,'' said Gazal Gunalan, whose 15-year-old son Mehmet was buried under the rubble. ``At the beginning I was expecting him to come out alive ... now I'm waiting for his body.''
13) Hundreds of aftershocks have hit the region since the initial 17-second temblor, leaving thousands who refuse to enter their homes stranded in the streets.
14) The Turkish Red Crescent has sent 3,700 tents and 13,000 blankets to the region, but Bingol Governor Huseyin Avni Cos said 20,000 more tents were needed. Food and drinking water is also insufficient, officials said.
15) The quake's epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara. Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish east.
16) The official toll on Friday stood at 105, the governor said. About 1,000 people were injured in the quake.
17) At the school, rescuers found five children alive and 12 dead overnight.
18) Major Oguz Tozak, in charge of a rescue team at the school, said he feared up to two-thirds of the students still trapped may be dead.
19) ``I saw an entire dormitory ward squashed under the ceiling with at least eight children crushed to death inside,'' said rescuer Semsettin Sayan Friday morning.
20) Intermittently, rescuers turned off generators and lights to scan the rubble with sensitive microphones to detect any sounds. Sniffer dogs climbed on the debris hunting for survivors.
21) The 198 students in the dorm, ages 7 to 16, were asleep when the magnitude 6.4 quake struck early Thursday morning and collapsed the Celtiksuyu boarding school. So far, 90 were rescued alive from the rubble, leaving about 70 still unaccounted for.
22) Hundreds of people, most of them relatives of the missing students, kept vigil near the rubble, wailing and praying under the floodlights used to keep up the search through the night.
23) The building's collapse again focused attention on poor construction methods that have been blamed for heavy death tolls in previous quakes in Turkey.
24) Nihat Ozdemir head of the Turkish Contractors' Union said contractors were not being inspected carefully, while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to prosecute those responsible for shoddy construction.
25) The primary and middle boarding school was built in 1999 mainly for the children of farmers from surrounding villages that have no schools and poor transportation services. It also represented the hope for a better future for the children of poor Kurds, who are often illiterate.
26) ``My son always said 'I don't want to stay uneducated like you Dad. I want a different life,''' said Nihat Bezekci, whose 11-year-old son Ahmet was still trapped in the building. ``If I had been able, I wish I had sent him to a better school, not here.''
27) Much of the country sits atop the active North Anatolian fault and tremors are frequent. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people. ea-za-ht


Rescuers work against time searching for children trapped by deadly Turkish earthquake
(APW_ENG_20030502.0141)
1) Violent clashes erupted between police and local Kurds over aid shortage on Friday as rescue workers kept searching for about 70 children trapped in a dormitory flattened by a strong earthquake that killed 100 in eastern Turkey.
2) Policemen fired into the air with automatic rifles after hundreds of protesters demanding more tents, food and water destroyed police cars and anti-personnel vehicles, private television NTV reported. Some protesters ripped large stones from the paved streets and threw them at security forces and at the governor's building.
3) Two paramilitary police and three reporters were injured from flying stones, the Anatolia news agency reported.
4) The clashes erupted after police failed to disperse the crowd, which demanded the governor's resignation and attempted to enter the governor's building, officials said. Several protesters were injured by a speeding police van that drove through the crowd. Police fired into the air for several minutes.
5) There is deep distrust between Kurds and security forces in Turkey's east after a 15-year Kurdish rebel war and ensuing government crackdown left 37,000 dead and millions displaced.
6) Bingol Governor Huseyin Avni Cos said Kurdish rebels were taking advantage of the quake to raise tensions, but admitted that security forces may have overreacted.
7) In contrast, everything fell quiet periodically at the site of the collapsed dormitory in the village of Celtiksuyu as searchers listened for any sign of life under the rubble.
8) Working against time, the rescuers hoped to reach them alive, and one boy was rescued Friday morning after spending more than 30 hours under the rubble.
9) Rescuers applauded as Enef Gunce, apparently with only slight injuries, was carried down on a stretcher and quickly put in ambulance.
10) But hopes were beginning to fade as the bodies of 40 children were found.
11) ``I have been sitting here since yesterday morning,'' said Gazal Gunalan, whose 15-year-old son Mehmet was buried under the rubble. ``At the beginning I was expecting him to come out alive ... now I'm waiting for his body.''
12) Hundreds of aftershocks have hit the region since the initial 17-second temblor, leaving thousands who refuse to enter their homes stranded in the streets.
13) The Turkish Red Crescent has sent 3,700 tents and 13,000 blankets to the region, but Bingol Governor Huseyin Avni Cos said 20,000 more tents were needed. Food and drinking water is also insufficient, officials said.
14) The quake's epicenter was just outside the nearby city of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara. Bingol is a rural, poor area in the predominantly Kurdish east.
15) The official toll on Friday stood at 105, the governor said. About 1,000 people were injured in the quake.
16) At the school, rescuers found five children alive and 12 dead overnight.
17) Major Oguz Tozak, in charge of a rescue team at the school, said he feared up to two-thirds of the students still trapped may be dead.
18) ``I saw an entire dormitory ward squashed under the ceiling with at least eight children crushed to death inside,'' said rescuer Semsettin Sayan Friday morning.
19) Intermittently, rescuers turned off generators and lights to scan the rubble with sensitive microphones to detect any sounds. Sniffer dogs climbed on the debris hunting for survivors.
20) The 198 students in the dorm, ages 7 to 16, were asleep when the magnitude 6.4 quake struck early Thursday morning and collapsed the Celtiksuyu boarding school. So far, 90 were rescued alive from the rubble, leaving about 70 still unaccounted for.
21) Hundreds of people, most of them relatives of the missing students, kept vigil near the rubble, wailing and praying under the floodlights used to keep up the search through the night.
22) The building's collapse again focused attention on poor construction methods that have been blamed for heavy death tolls in previous quakes in Turkey.
23) Nihat Ozdemir head of the Turkish Contractors' Union said contractors were not being inspected carefully, while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to prosecute those responsible for shoddy construction.
24) The primary and middle boarding school was built in 1999 mainly for the children of farmers from surrounding villages that have no schools and poor transportation services. It also represented the hope for a better future for the children of poor Kurds, who are often illiterate.
25) ``My son always said 'I don't want to stay uneducated like you Dad. I want a different life,''' said Nihat Bezekci, whose 11-year-old son Ahmet was still trapped in the building. ``If I had been able, I wish I had sent him to a better school, not here.''
26) Much of the country sits atop the active North Anatolian fault and tremors are frequent. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people.


Protesters clash over aid as rescuers search for children trapped by deadly Turkish earthquake
(APW_ENG_20030502.0334)
1) Clashes erupted between police and local Kurds over shortages of earthquake relief supplies Friday as rescue workers kept searching for dozens of children in the rubble of a collapsed school dormitory.
2) In a sign that there were few chances of finding survivors at the dormitory, rescuers began using cranes and other heavy equipment to lift the debris.
3) Ahmet Aydin, in charge of the emergency center at the site, said dogs and electronic equipment were no longer picking up any signs of life, but insisted that the rescue mission was continuing. Some relatives tried to block the rescuers from using the cranes.
4) ``This is still a search and rescue operation,'' Aydin said.
5) By midday Friday, 32 students were still missing after 117 were rescued and 49 found dead, rescue officials said. The children, aged 7 to 16, were mostly sons of poor Kurdish farmers.
6) Thousands were left homeless and angry demonstrators protesting the lack of tents, food and water clashed with police in Bingol, the main city hit by the quake.
7) Policemen fired into the air with automatic rifles after hundreds of protesters attacked police cars and anti-riot vehicles. Some protesters ripped large stones from the paved streets and threw them at the governor's building.
8) At least five policemen and three journalists were injured and scores were detained, Bingol governor Huseyin Avni Cos said. An angry crowd kicked and punched several reporters outside the governor's office, accusing them of being biased against them, before soldiers pushed them back.
9) The confirmed death toll from Thursday's quake rose to 115 Friday, according to officials. About 1,000 people were injured.
10) Soldiers took over from police in the streets of Bingol to prevent further clashes since demonstrators were particularly angry at police for firing shots in the air when protesters gathered outside Cos' office demanding his resignation. Several protesters were injured by a speeding police van that drove through the crowd.
11) There is deep distrust between Kurds and security forces in Turkey's east after a 15-year Kurdish rebel war and ensuing government crackdown left 37,000 dead and millions displaced.
12) Cos said Kurdish rebels were taking advantage of the quake to raise tensions, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the clashes were ``acts of serious provocation and exploitation.''
13) Erdogan defended the police's decision to open fire in the air, although he announced that the Bingol chief of police had been fired after the clashes.
14) ``We just came here to get tents. But they started firing on us,'' said protester Ramazan Yararli. A Muslim cleric used his mosque's loudspeaker to appeal for calm, while police told the crowd to wait in front of their homes for aid to be distributed.
15) The Turkish Red Crescent has sent 3,700 tents and 13,000 blankets to the region, but Cos said he hadn't distributed most of them Thursday because he wanted a fair distribution. He said 20,000 more tents were needed. Food and drinking water were also insufficient, officials said.
16) In Celtiksuyu, rescuers continued to dig through the rubble of a boarding school dormitory that collapsed with 198 students inside.
17) One boy, Enef Gunce, was rescued Friday morning after spending more than 30 hours under the debris. Weary rescuers applauded as Gunce, apparently with only slight injuries, was quickly put in an ambulance.
18) But some relatives were beginning to lose hope.
19) ``I have been sitting here since yesterday morning,'' said Gazal Gunalan, whose 15-year-old son Mehmet was buried under the rubble. ``I was expecting him to come out alive ... now I'm waiting for his body.''
20) The quake's epicenter was just outside Bingol, a poor, rural area some 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
21) In villages across the area, graves were dug for the students killed in the quake.
22) At a funeral in the village of Karderslerkoyu, farmers screamed as they lifted the white burial shroud that covered the chubby face and blonde hair of 14-year-old Erhan Berk, found dead Friday in the school's debris.
23) The school building's collapse again focused attention on poor construction methods that have been blamed for heavy death tolls in previous quakes in Turkey.
24) Nihat Ozdemir, head of the Turkish Contractors' Union, said contractors were not being inspected carefully, while the prime minister vowed to prosecute those responsible for shoddy construction.
25) Much of the country sits atop the active North Anatolian fault and tremors are frequent. A 1971 quake in Bingol killed 900 people. ea-za/ht



2003-05-05
Death toll rises to 176 in Turkish quake
(APW_ENG_20030505.0209)
1) Officials on Monday raised the death toll in last week's 6.4-magnitude quake to 176 and closed down schools in the region for an early summer recess after a dormitory collapsed killing 83 children.
2) Many parents are reticent to send their children back to school after Thursday's quake leveled the primary and middle boarding school, trapping 198 students under the rubble.
3) The quake brought down 300 buildings and damaged more than 5,000, said Bingol Governor Huseyin Avni Cos, who announced the new toll. Officials in Bingol said the toll had increased because some families had informed authorities of deaths only recently.
4) Cos said 7,000 tents had already been handed out to those made homeless by the quake and another 2,600 would be distributed Monday. Hundreds of local Kurds called for Cos' resignation Friday in a violent protest over the lack of tents, food and water. Protesters clashed with police leaving 19 injured.
5) Cos also said that students in the region of Bingol, the main city hit by the quake, could start their summer vacation a month early, except those in the last year of middle and high school who face an exam in June. Those students will be taught in tents.
6) Meanwhile, the Bingol Bar Association appealed to prosecutors to open an investigation against officials at the municipality, the governor's office, and at the public works and education offices for failing to prevent the collapse of the school in the town of Celtiksuyu.
7) Officials admit that the building was made with shoddy material, and critics say it was never inspected.
8) Turkish officials have lagged in increasing inspections and prosecuting contractors suspected of not following building regulations although poor construction has been identified as the cause of many deaths in the 1999 quakes that killed 18,000 in western Turkey.
9) Cabinet spokesman Cemil Cicek said Monday the government planned to stiffen laws governing public construction tenders and impose harsher punishments for building code violations to make sure that public buildings are well built.
10) Several other schools were damaged during the quake and officials said boarding schools throughout the country would be inspected.
11) Much of Turkey lies atop the North Anatolian fault and quakes are frequent. ht-sf-za


Death toll rises to 176 in Turkish quake
(APW_ENG_20030505.0242)
1) Officials on Monday raised the death toll in last week's 6.4-magnitude quake to 176 and closed down schools in the region for an early summer recess after a dormitory collapsed, killing 83 children.
2) Many parents are reluctant to send their children back to school after Thursday's quake leveled the primary and middle boarding school, trapping 198 students under the rubble. Several other schools were damaged during the quake, and officials said boarding schools throughout the country would be inspected.
3) The quake brought down 300 buildings and damaged more than 5,000, said Bingol Governor Huseyin Avni Cos, who announced the new toll. Officials in Bingol said the toll had increased because some families had informed authorities of deaths only recently.
4) Cos said 7,000 tents had already been handed out to those made homeless by the quake and another 2,600 would be distributed Monday. Hundreds of local Kurds called for Cos' resignation Friday in a violent protest over the lack of tents, food and water. Protesters clashed with police, leaving 19 injured.
5) Cos also said that students in the region of Bingol, the main city hit by the quake, could start their summer vacation a month early, except those in the last year of middle and high school who face an exam in June. Those students will be taught in tents.
6) Meanwhile, the Bingol Bar Association appealed to prosecutors to open an investigation against government officials for failing to prevent the collapse of the school in the town of Celtiksuyu.
7) Officials admit that the building was made with shoddy material, and critics say it was never inspected.
8) Cabinet spokesman Cemil Cicek said Monday the government planned to stiffen laws governing public construction tenders and impose harsher punishments for building code violations to make sure that public buildings are well built.
9) Poor construction was blamed for many of the 18,000 deaths in the 1999 quakes in western Turkey.
10) Much of Turkey lies atop the North Anatolian fault and quakes are frequent.


Death toll rises to 176 in Turkish quake
(APW_ENG_20030505.0411)
1) Officials on Monday raised the death toll in last week's 6.4-magnitude quake to 176 and closed down schools in the region for an early summer recess after a dormitory collapsed, killing 83 children.
2) Many parents are reluctant to send their children back to school after Thursday's quake leveled the primary and middle boarding school, trapping 198 students under the rubble. Several other schools were damaged, and officials said boarding schools throughout the country would be inspected.
3) The quake brought down 300 buildings and damaged more than 5,000, said Bingol Governor Huseyin Avni Cos, who announced the new toll. Officials in Bingol said the toll had increased because some families had informed authorities of deaths only recently. About 1,000 were injured.
4) Cos said 7,000 tents had already been handed out to those made homeless by the quake and another 2,600 would be distributed Monday. Hundreds of local Kurds called for Cos' resignation Friday in a violent protest over the lack of tents, food and water. Protesters clashed with police, leaving 19 injured.
5) Cos also said that students in the region of Bingol, the main city hit by the quake, could start their summer vacation a month early, except those in the last year of middle and high school who face an exam in June. Those students will be taught in tents.
6) Meanwhile, U.S. President George W. Bush called his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer Monday to express condolences.
7) ``The president was particularly saddened by the children that were killed and injured in the earthquake,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. Bush ``let him know that the United States stands ready to help.''
8) The Bingol Bar Association appealed to prosecutors to open an investigation against government officials for failing to prevent the collapse of the school in the town of Celtiksuyu.
9) Officials admit that the building was made with shoddy material, and critics say it was never inspected.
10) Cabinet spokesman Cemil Cicek said Monday the government planned to stiffen laws governing public construction tenders and impose harsher punishments for building code violations to make sure that public buildings are well built.
11) Poor construction was blamed for many of the 18,000 deaths in the 1999 quakes in western Turkey.
12) Much of Turkey lies atop the North Anatolian fault and quakes are frequent.



2003-05-21
Two moderate earthquakes shake eastern Turkey; no injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20030521.0092)
1) Two moderate earthquakes shook eastern Turkey early Wednesday, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. No injuries or damage were reported.
2) The quakes were centered in Bingol province, where a magnitude 6.4 quake earlier this month killed 176 people, including 83 children who were crushed in their school dormitory.
3) The first quake, which struck at 4:15 a.m. (0115 GMT) Wednesday, had a preliminary magnitude of 4.4, the observatory said. A second quake at 6:11 a.m. (0311GMT) had a preliminary magnitude of 4.5. Several aftershocks were also reported.
4) Thousands of people in Bingol have been living in tents since the May 1 temblor.
5) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies atop active faults. Two quakes killed some 18,000 people in 1999.


Three moderate earthquakes shake Turkey; no injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20030521.0158)
1) Two moderate earthquakes shook eastern Turkey and another rattled the northwest Wednesday, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. No injuries or damage were reported.
2) The first two quakes were centered in Bingol province, where a magnitude 6.4 quake earlier this month killed 176 people, including 83 children who were crushed in their school dormitory.
3) The Bingol quakes early Wednesday had preliminary magnitudes of 4.4 and 4.5. Several aftershocks were also reported.
4) At 11:21 a.m. (0821GMT), a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.5, also shook the northwestern city of Duzce, the observatory said.
5) Duzce, located 180 kilometers (115 miles) east of Istanbul, was the center of a 7.2-magnitude quake in November 1999 that killed around 900 people.
6) Most of Turkey lies on the active north Anatolian fault, and quakes are frequent.



2004-03-03
Moderate quake shakes eastern Turkey, no damage or injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20040303.0473)
1) A moderate earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Wednesday, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.5, was centered in the town of Sancak in Bingol province _ the site of a deadly earthquake last year.
3) A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Bingol province, 430 miles (700 kilometers) east of Ankara, on May 1, killing 177 people.
4) Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.
5) Poor construction was blamed for many of the 18,000 deaths in the 1999 quakes in western Turkey.
6) (sh/tr)


Moderate quake shakes eastern Turkey, no damage or injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20040303.0479)
1) A moderate earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Wednesday, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.5, was centered in the town of Sancak in Bingol province _ the site of a deadly earthquake last year.
3) A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Bingol province, 430 miles (700 kilometers) east of Ankara, on May 1, killing 177 people.
4) Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.
5) Poor construction was blamed for many of the 18,000 deaths in the 1999 quakes in western Turkey.



2004-03-25
Moderate quake shakes eastern Turkey; at least six killed
(APW_ENG_20040325.0663)
1) A moderately strong earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Thursday, killing at least six people, including four children, an official said.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1, was centered in the town of Cat, in Erzurum province, some 900 kilometers (540 miles) east of Ankara, the capital, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. It occurred at 9:30 p.m. (1830 GMT).
3) Gov. Mustafa Malay told state-run TRT television that a house in a village near the town of Askale collapsed in the temblor, killing four children. Two other people were also killed, the governor later told private NTV television, but gave no details.
4) Malay said another person was injured when the wall of his house collapsed.
5) Worst hit were three villages close to Askale where a number of mud-brick homes had collapsed.
6) NTV television reported that villagers were trying to rescue a woman buried under the rubble of her house in Kucukgecit village.
7) Throughout the province, people rushed out of homes into the streets in panic and some were hospitalized with shock, the governor said. People were too frightened to return to their homes and were planning to spend the night outdoors.
8) People calling for news of loved ones jammed phone lines, Malay said.
9) A bridge was damaged and was closed to heavy vehicles. Power in some villages was cut and some government buildings suffered cracks, he said.
10) The quake was also felt in neighboring provinces.
11) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies atop active fault lines. In 1999, two quakes killed about 18,000 people in northwest Turkey.



2004-03-27
Strong earthquake shakes eastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20040327.0581)
1) A strong earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Sunday, days after another quake killed 10 people in the region. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in Sunday's quake.
2) The quake centered in Erzurum province had a preliminary magnitude of 5.3, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said.
3) Private CNN-Turk, which said the quake struck around 6:50 a.m. (0350 GMT), said residents fled their homes in panic following the temblor, but did not report any immediate damage.
4) Ten people were killed following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake on Thursday that destroyed mud-brick homes in 15 villages in Erzurum. Most of the dead were children sleeping in their beds.
5) More than 100 aftershocks followed the initial quake. Erzurum is some 900 kilometers (540 miles) east of Ankara, the capital.
6) Most of Turkey lies on the active north Anatolian fault. In August 1999 a quake killed more than 17,000 people in western Turkey.



2004-03-28
Strong earthquake shakes eastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20040328.0011)
1) A strong earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Sunday, damaging some buildings and injuring several people.
2) The quake at around 6:50 a.m. (0350 GMT) in Erzurum province had a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 and came days after another quake killed 10 people in the region.
3) Gov. Mustafa Malay told private NTV television that at least six people were injured, but that he was not aware of any deaths.
4) Officials said the quake caused cracks in buildings and collapsed stalls for animals.
5) Private CNN-Turk said residents fled their homes in panic following the temblor.
6) Ten people were killed following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake on Thursday that destroyed mud-brick homes in 15 villages in Erzurum. Most of the dead were children sleeping in their beds.
7) More than 100 aftershocks followed the initial quake. Erzurum is some 900 kilometers (540 miles) east of Ankara, the capital.
8) Most of Turkey lies on the active north Anatolian fault. In August 1999 a quake killed more than 17,000 people in western Turkey.



2004-07-17
Moderate quake shakes eastern Turkey, no damage or injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20040717.0204)
1) A moderate earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Saturday evening, private NTV television said. No damage or injuries were reported.
2) The station said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.0, and was centered in the Bingol province, around 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara. Much of the province is rural.
3) A magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Bingol in May 2003, however, killed 177 people.
4) Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.
5) Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.



2004-07-18
Moderate quake shakes central Turkey, no damage or injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20040718.0134)
1) A moderate earthquake shook central Turkey on Sunday. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
2) The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 and was centered in the town of Ilgaz, in Cankiri province, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. Cankiri is some 150 kilometers (95 miles) northeast of the capital, Ankara, where the quake was also felt.
3) Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.
4) On Saturday evening, a magnitude 4.0 temblor rumbled in the rural Bingol province, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara. No damage or injuries were reported.
5) Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.



2005-03-12
Earthquake shakes southeastern Turkey, causes some damage, 15 injured
(APW_ENG_20050312.0388)
1) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook southeastern Turkey on Saturday, damaging some 150 houses and injuring 15 people, authorities said.
2) The quake struck around 9:36 a.m. (0736GMT) and was centered in the town of Karliova in rural Bingol province _ where a magnitude 6.4 quake killed 177 people in 2003 _ the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said.
3) Gov. Vehbi Avuc of Bingol, 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara, said the temblor caused some damage in Karliova and in six villages in the region.
4) "There is no loss of life," Avuc told private NTV television.
5) Local Gov. Erkan Capar of Karliova said the quake slightly damaged some 120 houses in the town. He said 28 other houses were damaged in six nearby villages.
6) The government dispatched tents, blankets and other relief aid to the snow covered area, where some villages were cut off from the outside world due to heavy snowfall for days.
7) The quake caused an avalanche in the region, which blocked one of two lanes of the main highway between the city of Erzurum and the town of Cat, the Anatolia news agency reported.
8) The quake was felt in the neighboring provinces of Erzurum, Diyarbakir, Tunceli, Mus and Erzincan, Anatolia said.
9) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies atop active fault lines. Two massive quakes killed some 18,000 people in 1999.



2005-03-14
Reports: Strong earthquake shakes eastern Turkey, causing damage, injuries
(APW_ENG_20050314.0167)
1) A strong earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Monday, damaging buildings and injuring five people, two days after another quake in the region, news reports said.
2) The earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 centered in rural Bingol province at 3:55 a.m. (0135 GMT), and toppled several buildings that had been badly damaged in Saturday's magnitude 5.7 temblor, private NTV television reported.
3) The station said there was no loss of life, but many panicked residents remained outdoors following the temblor.
4) Private CNN-Turk television said five people were injured Monday.
5) Bingol is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
6) Saturday's earthquake damaged more than 200 hundred buildings and injured 16 people, according to the prime minister's office.
7) Scores of people have people have been staying in tents in the snow covered area since the quake.
8) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies atop active fault lines. Two massive quakes killed some 18,000 people in 1999.
9) A magnitude 6.4 quake in Bingol killed 177 people in 2003.


Strong earthquake shakes eastern Turkey, causing damage, injuries
(APW_ENG_20050314.0569)
1) A strong earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Monday, damaging buildings and injuring at least 18 people two days after another quake in the region, authorities said.
2) The earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 was centered in rural Bingol province at struck at 3:55 a.m. (0135 GMT), toppling several buildings that had been badly damaged in Saturday's magnitude 5.7 temblor, officials said.
3) Authorities said there no reports of any deaths, but at least 18 people were injured, including two women who had been trapped in rubble and were rescued and taken to the hospital, the Anatolia news agency reported.
4) "A great deal of destruction is out of question, but we have determined that some animals were killed," Erkan Capar, a senior local official, told the Anatolia news agency, adding some empty village buildings had collapsed. "Our teams have begun combing through villages. So far, there's nothing serious."
5) Anatolia said that more than 450 houses in 24 villages in Bingol were affected, suffering either serious or slight damage.
6) Television footage showed panicked residents huddling around fires outside to keep warm in the snow covered area. Scores of people have been staying in tents since Saturday's quake and authorities were distributing more tents Monday.
7) Helicopters and soldiers also took supplies to quake-hit villages whose roads were blocked _ some by avalanches apparently triggered by the quake, Anatolia said.
8) Bingol is 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Ankara.
9) Saturday's earthquake damaged more than 200 hundred buildings and injured 16 people, according to the prime minister's office.
10) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies atop active fault lines. Two massive quakes killed some 18,000 people in 1999.
11) A magnitude 6.4 quake in Bingol killed 177 people in 2003.



2005-03-23
Earthquake shakes temblor-stricken Turkish town
(APW_ENG_20050323.1247)
1) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, causing panic in a remote town already damaged by a recent quake. No injuries or damage were immediately reported.
2) The quake struck around 11:44 p.m. (2144 GMT) and was centered in the town of Karliova in rural Bingol province, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said.
3) There was no damage in the town center, according to Mayor Muzaffer Golen, the Anatolia news agency reported. But he said authorities were still trying to check on the situation in nearby mountain villages.
4) It was the second quake to strike the area in the last two weeks. A magnitude 5.7-quake injured 15 people and damaged 150 houses in the same town on March 12.
5) A 1995 magnitude 6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol, which is about 430 miles east of Ankara.
6) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which lies atop active fault lines. Two massive quakes killed some 18,000 people in 1999.



2005-06-06
Earthquake shakes southeastern Turkey; dozens injured
(APW_ENG_20050606.0829)
1) A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook southeastern Turkey on Monday, injuring at least 54 people and demolishing homes, officials said.
2) The quake struck near the town of Karliova, in rural Bingol province, some 900 kilometers (560 miles) southeast of Ankara, the Kandilli Observatory said.
3) The quake caused several homes to collapse in nearby villages and at least 54 people were injured, the prime minister's office announced. The temblor damaged at least 63 houses in several villages in neighboring Erzurum province, local officials said.
4) Five of the injured were in serious condition while others were treated in hospital for minor injuries and released, an official at the crisis center in Bingol said.
5) Most of the homes that collapsed had been already damaged in a March earthquake, Bingol Governor Vehbi Avuc said.
6) "We are happy that there were no deaths," Avuc said. "The quake has caused quite a panic and we are trying to provide psychological support."
7) Monday's quake occurred at 10:41 a.m. (0741 GMT). It was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Erzurum, Mus and Tunceli, the Anatolia news agency reported.
8) At least 10 aftershocks, measuring between 2.9 and 3.5, also shook the region, Kandilli said.
9) Officials dispatched 1,000 tents and 2,000 blankets to the area while schools were closed for two-days.
10) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 collapsed a school dormitory in Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
11) A magnitude 6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.
12) Karliova is prone to earthquakes and a temblor of the same magnitude injured 15 people there on March 12.
13) Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.



2005-12-10
Moderate earthquake shakes quake-stricken southeastern Turkish town; no injuries or damage reported
(APW_ENG_20051210.0051)
1) A moderate earthquake early Saturday shook a quake-stricken southeastern town in Turkey, the Kandilli Observatory said. It was not clear if there were any casualties or damage.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3, struck the town of Karliova in rural Bingol province at 0209 a.m. (0009 GMT) 560 miles (900 kilometers) southeast of Ankara, it said.
3) In June, a magnitude 5.7 quake which also struck Karliova injured more than 50 people, collapsing several homes, most of which were damaged in a previous quake in March, in the area.
4) Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
5) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
6) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.


Moderate earthquake shakes quake-stricken southeastern Turkish town; no injuries or damage
(APW_ENG_20051210.0206)
1) A moderate earthquake early Saturday shook a quake-prone town in southeast Turkey, the Kandilli Observatory said. There were no injuries or damage, officials said.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3, struck the town of Karliova in rural Bingol province at 2:09 a.m. (0009 GMT), 560 miles (900 kilometers) southeast of Ankara, it said.
3) In June, a magnitude 5.7 quake struck Karliova, injuring more than 50 people and collapsing several homes _ most of which had been damaged in a previous quake in March.
4) Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
5) In 2003, an earthquake with a 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
6) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.



2006-07-02
Moderate earthquake shakes southeast Turkey
(APW_ENG_20060702.0748)
1) A moderate earthquake shook the southeastern province of Bingol on Sunday, a seismology center said. The temblor caused panic in the region but there were no reports of any damage or injuries.
2) The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9, was centered near the town Karliova, 560 miles (900 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Ankara, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. It struck at 10:39 p.m. (1939GMT).
3) Several people ran out of their homes in panic, CNN-Turk television reported.
4) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey which lies on active fault lines. Two devastating earthquakes in 1999 killed some 18,000 people.
5) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 collapsed a school dormitory in Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
6) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.



2007-02-21
Moderate earthquake shakes southeastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20070221.0569)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, a seismology institute said.
2) There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
3) The epicenter of the quake was the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor.
4) The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.
5) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
6) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in southeastern Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
7) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.


Moderate earthquake shakes southeastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20070221.0594)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, sending people into the streets in panic and slightly damaging some buildings, officials said. No injuries were reported.
2) The epicenter of the quake was the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.
3) The quake caused great panic and slightly damaged a primary school as well as a post office, said Huseyin Saydam, the head of the local branch of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Sivrice.
4) "There is no loss of life according to initial reports," Saydam said.
5) The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor.
6) The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.
7) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
8) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in southeastern Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
9) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.


Moderate earthquake causes panic, slight damage in southeastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20070221.0608)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, sending people into the streets in panic and slightly damaging some buildings, officials said. No injuries were reported.
2) The epicenter of the quake was the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.
3) The quake caused great panic and slightly damaged a primary school as well as a post office, said Huseyin Saydam, the head of the local branch of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Sivrice.
4) Soldiers and police were trying to reach remote mountain villages while a paramilitary helicopter flew over the area to make an assessment, CNN-Turk television said.
5) Parents rushed to schools to pick up their children in the region, the broadcaster reported.
6) Seismologists warned against aftershocks and residents were fearful of re-entering buildings, reports said.
7) The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor.
8) The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.
9) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
10) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in southeastern Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
11) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.


Moderate earthquake causes panic, slight damage in southeastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20070221.0628)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, sending people into the streets in panic and damaging some buildings, officials said. No injuries were reported.
2) The epicenter of the quake was the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.
3) The quake caused great panic and partly collapsed a building in the village of Kayapinar while slightly damaging a primary school as well as a post office in the town of Sivrice, Elazig Gov. Muammer Musmul said.
4) Soldiers and police were trying to reach remote mountain villages while a paramilitary helicopter flew over the area to make an assessment, CNN-Turk television said.
5) Parents rushed to schools to pick up their children in the region, the broadcaster reported.
6) Seismologists warned against aftershocks and residents were fearful of re-entering buildings, reports said.
7) The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor.
8) The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.
9) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
10) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in southeastern Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
11) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.


Moderate earthquake causes panic, slight damage in southeastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20070221.0723)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, sending people into the streets in panic and damaging some buildings, officials said. No injuries were reported.
2) The epicenter of the quake was the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.
3) The quake caused great panic and partly collapsed a building in the village of Kayapinar while slightly damaging a primary school as well as a post office in the town of Sivrice, Elazig Gov. Muammer Musmul said.
4) Soldiers and police were trying to reach remote mountain villages while a paramilitary helicopter flew over the area to make an assessment, CNN-Turk television said.
5) Parents rushed to schools to pick up their children in the region, the broadcaster reported. Authorities suspended classes in Sivrice and Maden for Wednesday after the quake.
6) Seismologists warned against aftershocks and residents were fearful of re-entering buildings, reports said.
7) The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor.
8) The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.
9) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
10) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in southeastern Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
11) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.


Earthquake partly collapses building, trapping woman in southeastern Turkey
(APW_ENG_20070221.0843)
1) A moderate earthquake shook southeastern Turkey Wednesday, damaging buildings but causing no major injuries. One woman was briefly trapped under the rubble of a partially collapsed building, a local official said.
2) Rescuers managed to reach the woman and free her from the debris of the building in the village of Kayalar in Elazig province, Gov. Muammer Musmal said. She was hospitalized but was not in serious condition, Musmal said.
3) The temblor struck the town of Sivrice, sending people into the streets in panic and damaging some buildings. No other injuries were reported.
4) The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.
5) The quake slightly damaged a primary school as well as a post office in the town of Sivrice, Musmal said.
6) Soldiers and police were trying to reach remote mountain villages while a paramilitary helicopter flew over the area to make an assessment, CNN-Turk television reported.
7) Parents rushed to schools to pick up their children, the broadcaster reported. Authorities suspended classes in Sivrice and Maden for Wednesday after the quake.
8) Five aftershocks, the strongest with a magnitude of 3.6, followed as authorities warned residents not to enter damaged buildings.
9) The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor.
10) The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.
11) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
12) In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in southeastern Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.
13) A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.



2007-10-29
Moderate earthquake shakes southwest Turkey; No injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20071029.0414)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.1 shook southwest Turkey on Monday, a seismology center said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
2) The epicenter of the quake was near the town of Cameli, in Denizli province, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said.
3) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.
4) Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999. In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in Bingol, killing 83 children.


Moderate earthquake shakes southwest Turkey; No injuries reported
(APW_ENG_20071029.0431)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 shook southwest Turkey on Monday, a seismology center said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
2) The epicenter of the quake was near the town of Cameli, in Denizli province, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said.
3) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.
4) Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999. In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in Bingol, in southeast Turkey, killing 83 children.



2007-12-20
Moderate earthquake shakes Turkish capital
(APW_ENG_20071220.0514)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude 5.7 shook the capital of Ankara on Thursday, Turkey's Istanbul-based Kandilli seismology center said. There was no immediate report of any major damage or injury.
2) The earthquake, which struck at the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, lasted for a few minutes, and caused apartment buildings and furniture to sway and chandeliers to fall.
3) Kandilli said the epicenter of the quake was the town of Bala, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Ankara. There were two smaller quakes, measuring 3.9 and 4.0, earlier in the day.
4) Gov. Kemal Onal said there were no immediate reports of any casualties in the quake.
5) "Emergency services have left for Bala to assess possible damage in the villages," Onal said.
6) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault, though they are rare in the capital.
7) Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999. In 2003, a school dormitory collapsed following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Bingol, in southeast Turkey, killing 83 children.



2007-12-27
Moderate earthquake shakes Turkish capital; no immediate reports of injuries
(APW_ENG_20071227.0276)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 shook the Turkish capital early Thursday, rocking furniture and waking residents from their sleep, authorities said. The quake caused no injuries but some damage in the area.
2) The epicenter of the quake, which hit at 1:47 a.m. (2347 GMT Wednesday), was in the town of Bala, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Ankara, said Dogan Kalafat, an official from the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory.
3) A magnitude 5.7 temblor had also rocked Bala last Thursday, damaging around 20 houses.
4) There were no reports of any casualties in the latest quake, authorities said, but it toppled the minaret of a mosque and damaged the roof of another building near Bala. It also damaged three houses that were evacuated last week, they added.
5) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault, though they are rare in the capital.
6) Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999. In 2003, a school dormitory collapsed following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Bingol, in southeast Turkey, killing 83 children.



2008-01-31
Report: Moderate earthquake shakes Turkish capital; no reports of injuries
(APW_ENG_20080131.0413)
1) A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 shook Turkish capital Ankara early Thursday, state-run media said. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
2) The Istanbul-based Kandilli seismology center said the temblor's epicenter was the town of Cubuk, some 70 kilometers (43 miles) north of Ankara, state-run news agency Anatolia said.
3) Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.5 and 5.7 hit another town of Ankara last month, damaging hundreds of houses. But there were no reports of casualties.
4) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault, though they are rare and moderate in the capital.
5) Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999. In 2003, a school dormitory collapsed following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Bingol, southeast Turkey, killing 83 children.



2010-03-08
6.0 earthquake hits eastern Turkey, kills 57
(APW_ENG_20100308.0520)
1) A strong, pre-dawn earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 struck eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 57 people as it knocked down stone or mud-brick houses and minarets in at least six villages, the government said.
2) Turkey's crisis center said about 100 other people were injured in the quake, which hit at 4:32 a.m. (0232 GMT, 9 p.m. EST Sunday) in Elazig province, about 340 miles (550 kilometers) east of Ankara, the capital.
3) The earthquake, which caught many people as they slept, was centered near the village of Basyurt and followed by more than 50 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.5 and 5.3, the Kandilli seismology center said.
4) The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular, where some 17 people were killed and homes crumbled into piles of dirt. As relatives rushed in for news of their loved ones, authorities blocked access to Okcular so ambulances and rescue teams could maneuver on the village's narrow roads. Villagers lit fires to keep warm.
5) "The village is totally flattened," village administrator Hasan Demirdag told private NTV television.
6) Ali Riza Ferhat of Okcular said he was woken up by the jolt.
7) "I tried to get out of the door but it wouldn't open. I came out of the window and started helping my neighbors," he told NTV television. "We removed six bodies."
8) Another 13 people were killed in the village of Yukari Demirci, Gov. Muammer Erol said, adding that by noon everyone had been removed from the rubble and there was no one left buried inside the debris.
9) "Everything has been knocked down, there is not a stone in place," said Yadin Apaydin, administrator for the village of Yukari Kanatli, where he said at least three people died.
10) The quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, where residents fled to the streets in panic and stayed outdoors. Schools were closed for two days in the region. In Tunceli province, students were sent home after the quake caused a school's walls to crack, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
11) The Elazig quake follows deadly temblors in Haiti and Chile, but Bernard Doft, the seismologist for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, said there was no direct connection between the three.
12) "These events are too far apart to be of direct influence to each other," he said.
13) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kandilli Observatory's director, Mustafa Erdik, urged residents not to enter any damaged homes, warning that they could topple from aftershocks that Erdik said could last for days.
14) Erdogan blamed the mud-brick constructions for the deaths and said the government was instructing its housing agency to construct quake-prone homes in the area.
15) Television footage showed rescue workers and soldiers at Okcular lifting debris as villagers looked on. Rescuers dug into the dirt, finding the body of an elderly man, and quickly covered him with a sheet.
16) Two women sat on mattresses wrapped in blankets. The temblor also knocked down barns, killing farm animals.
17) Turkey's Red Crescent organization sent tents and blankets to the region. Erdogan said ambulance helicopters, prefabricated homes and mobile kitchens were also being sent.
18) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies on top of two main fault lines. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
19) In 2007, an earthquake measuring 5.7 damaged buildings in Elazig, briefly trapping a woman under debris. In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in the neighboring province of Bingol, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.


Earthquake flattens Turkish villages, kills 51
(APW_ENG_20100308.0594)
1) A strong, pre-dawn earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 struck eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 51 people as it knocked down stone and mud-brick houses and minarets in at least six villages, the government said.
2) The earthquake surprised many people as they slept, crumpling buildings into piles of rubble. Panicked survivors fled into the narrow village streets, some climbing out of windows, as more than 50 aftershocks measuring up to 5.5 and 5.3 magnitude rattled the region.
3) The Kandilli seismology center said the quake hit at 4:32 a.m. (0232 GMT, 9 p.m. EST Sunday) near the village of Basyurt in Elazig province, about 340 miles (550 kilometers) east of Ankara, the capital.
4) The government initially put the death toll at 57 but later lowered it to 51. It gave no explanation for the discrepancy. In addition to the deaths, about 34 people were being treated for injuries from the quake, Turkey's crisis center said.
5) The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular, where 17 people were killed. As relatives rushed in for news of their loved ones, authorities blocked off the area so ambulances and rescue teams could maneuver on the village's narrow roads. Residents lit fires to keep warm in the winter cold.
6) "The village is totally flattened," village administrator Hasan Demirdag told private NTV television.
7) Ali Riza Ferhat of Okcular said he was woken up by the jolt.
8) "I tried to get out of the door but it wouldn't open. I came out of the window and started helping my neighbors," he told NTV television. "We removed six bodies."
9) Television footage showed rescue workers and soldiers at Okcular lifting debris as villagers looked on. Rescuers dug into the dirt to find the body of an elderly man and quickly covered him with a sheet. Two women sat on mattresses wrapped in blankets. The temblor also knocked down barns, killing farm animals.
10) Another 13 people were killed in the village of Yukari Demirci, Gov. Muammer Erol said, adding that by noon everyone had been removed from the rubble.
11) "Everything has been knocked down, there is not a stone in place," said Yadin Apaydin, administrator for the village of Yukari Kanatli, where he said at least three people died.
12) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kandilli Observatory's director, Mustafa Erdik, urged residents not to enter any damaged homes, warning they could topple from aftershocks that Erdik said could last for days.
13) Erdogan blamed the region's mud-brick buildings for the many deaths and said the government has instructed its housing agency to construct quake-proof homes in the area. He said ambulance helicopters, prefabricated homes and mobile kitchens were being sent, and Turkey's Red Crescent aid group rushed in tents and blankets.
14) The quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, where residents fled to the streets in panic and stayed outdoors. Schools were closed for two days in the region. In Tunceli province, students were sent home after the quake caused a school's walls to crack, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
15) A museum in Elazig displaying artifacts from the Iron-age Kingdom of Urartu was not affected by the quake.
16) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies on top of two main fault lines. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
17) The Elazig quake followed deadly temblors in Haiti and Chile, but Bernard Doft, the seismologist for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in Utrecht, said there was no direct connection between the three.
18) "These events are too far apart to be of direct influence to each other," he said.
19) Richard Luckett, a seismologist from the British Geological Survey, said there has not been a spike in global seismic activity.
20) "If there was a big increase in the number of magnitude 6.0s in the past decade we would know it because we would see it in the statistics," Luckett said. "We haven't seen an increase in 7.0s either."
21) He said scientists often see strong quakes but they don't get reported because the damage or death toll is minimal.
22) "The point is that earthquakes are common and always have been," he said.
23) In other Turkish earthquakes, a 5.7-magnitude one in 2007 damaged buildings in Elazig and a 6.4-magnitude one in 2003 killed 83 children when a school dormitory collapsed in Bingol. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.


Strong earthquake slams eastern Turkey, kills 51
(APW_ENG_20100308.0675)
1) A strong, pre-dawn earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 51 people as it knocked down stone and mud-brick houses and minarets in at least six villages, the government said.
2) The earthquake surprised many residents as they slept, crumpling buildings into piles of rubble. Panicked survivors fled into the narrow village streets, some climbing out of windows, as more than 50 aftershocks measuring up to 5.5 and 5.3 magnitude rattled the region.
3) The Kandilli seismology center said the 6.0-magnitude quake hit at 4:32 a.m. (0232 GMT, 9 p.m. EST Sunday) near the village of Basyurt in a remote, sparsely populated area of Elazig province. The region is 340 miles (550 kilometers) east of Ankara, the capital.
4) The U.S. Geological Survey listed the quake at 5.9 magnitude.
5) The government initially put the death toll at 57 but later lowered it to 51 with no explanation. In addition to the deaths, 34 people were being treated for injuries, Turkey's crisis center said.
6) The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular, where 19 of the village's 900 residents were killed.
7) As relatives rushed in for news of their loved ones, authorities blocked off the area so ambulances and rescue teams could maneuver on the village's narrow, steep roads. Residents lit fires to keep warm in the winter cold, with snow-covered mountains in the background.
8) "The village is totally flattened," village administrator Hasan Demirdag told private NTV television.
9) Ali Riza Ferhat of Okcular said he was woken up by the jolt.
10) "I tried to get out of the door but it wouldn't open. I came out of the window and started helping my neighbors," he told NTV television. "We removed six bodies."
11) Video footage showed men using shovels and their bare hands to dig up two bodies from piles of dry dirt and concrete blocks from wrecked houses. Both bodies were covered in blankets and carried away. One appeared to be that of a baby or young child.
12) Women in veils gathered near the rescue scenes, some crying.
13) The temblor also knocked down barns, killing many farm animals. A half-dozen dead cows could be seen partially buried in the dirt near one collapsed home.
14) Another 13 people were killed in the nearby village of Yukari Demirci, Gov. Muammer Erol said, adding that by noon everyone had been removed from the rubble.
15) "Everything has been knocked down, there is not a stone in place," said Yadin Apaydin, administrator for the village of Yukari Kanatli, where he said at least three people died.
16) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kandilli Observatory's director, Mustafa Erdik, urged residents not to enter any damaged homes, warning they could topple from aftershocks that Erdik said could last for days.
17) Erdogan blamed the region's mud-brick buildings for the many deaths and said the government housing agency will build quake-proof homes in the area. He said ambulance helicopters, prefabricated homes and mobile kitchens were being rushed in, and Turkey's Red Crescent aid group sent tents and blankets.
18) The quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, where residents fled to the streets in panic and stayed outdoors. Schools were closed for two days in the region. In Tunceli province, students were sent home after the quake caused a school's walls to crack, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
19) A museum in Elazig displaying artifacts from the Iron-age Kingdom of Urartu was not affected by the quake, and nearby dams were also intact.
20) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies on top of two main fault lines. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
21) The Elazig quake followed deadly temblors in Haiti and Chile, but Bernard Doft, the seismologist for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in Utrecht, said there was no direct connection between the three.
22) "These events are too far apart to be of direct influence to each other," he said.
23) Richard Luckett, a seismologist from the British Geological Survey, said there has not been a spike in global seismic activity.
24) "If there was a big increase in the number of magnitude 6.0s in the past decade we would know it because we would see it in the statistics," Luckett said. "We haven't seen an increase in 7.0s either."
25) He said scientists often see strong quakes but they don't get reported because the damage or death toll is minimal.
26) "The point is that earthquakes are common and always have been," he said.
27) In other Turkish earthquakes, a 5.7-magnitude one in 2007 damaged buildings in Elazig and a 6.4-magnitude one in 2003 killed 83 children in Bingol when a school dormitory collapsed. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.


Strong earthquake slams eastern Turkey, kills 51
(APW_ENG_20100308.0709)
1) A strong, pre-dawn earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 51 people as it knocked down stone and mud-brick houses and minarets in at least six villages, the government said.
2) The earthquake surprised many residents as they slept, crumpling buildings into piles of rubble. Panicked survivors fled into the narrow village streets, some climbing out of windows, as more than 50 aftershocks measuring up to 5.5 and 5.3 magnitude rattled the region.
3) The Kandilli seismology center said the 6.0-magnitude quake hit at 4:32 a.m. (0232 GMT, 9 p.m. EST Sunday) near the village of Basyurt in a remote, sparsely populated area of Elazig province. The region is 340 miles (550 kilometers) east of Ankara, the capital.
4) The U.S. Geological Survey listed the quake at 5.9 magnitude.
5) The government initially put the death toll at 57 but later lowered it to 51 with no explanation. In addition to the deaths, 34 people were being treated for injuries, Turkey's crisis center said.
6) The worst-hit area was the village of Okcular, where 19 of the village's 900 residents were killed.
7) As relatives rushed in for news of their loved ones, authorities blocked off the area so ambulances and rescue teams could maneuver on the village's narrow, steep roads. Residents lit fires to keep warm in the winter cold, with snow-covered mountains in the background.
8) "The village is totally flattened," village administrator Hasan Demirdag told private NTV television.
9) Ali Riza Ferhat of Okcular said he was woken up by the jolt.
10) "I tried to get out of the door but it wouldn't open. I came out of the window and started helping my neighbors," he told NTV television. "We removed six bodies."
11) Video footage showed men using shovels and their bare hands to dig up two bodies from piles of dry dirt and concrete blocks from wrecked houses. Both bodies were covered in blankets and carried away. One appeared to be that of a baby or young child.
12) Women in veils gathered near the rescue scenes, some crying.
13) The temblor also knocked down barns, killing many farm animals. A half-dozen dead cows could be seen partially buried in the dirt near one collapsed home.
14) Another 13 people were killed in the nearby village of Yukari Demirci, Gov. Muammer Erol said, adding that by noon everyone had been removed from the rubble.
15) "Everything has been knocked down, there is not a stone in place," said Yadin Apaydin, administrator for the village of Yukari Kanatli, where he said at least three people died.
16) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kandilli Observatory's director, Mustafa Erdik, urged residents not to enter any damaged homes, warning they could topple from aftershocks that Erdik said could last for days.
17) Erdogan blamed the region's mud-brick buildings for the many deaths and said the government housing agency will build quake-proof homes in the area. He said ambulance helicopters, prefabricated homes and mobile kitchens were being rushed in, and Turkey's Red Crescent aid group sent tents and blankets.
18) The quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, where residents fled to the streets in panic and stayed outdoors. Schools were closed for two days in the region. In Tunceli province, students were sent home after the quake caused a school's walls to crack, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
19) A museum in Elazig displaying artifacts from the Iron-age Kingdom of Urartu was not affected by the quake, and nearby dams were also intact.
20) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies on top of two main fault lines. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people. In 2003, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed 177 people in Bingol, including 84 children whose school dormitory collapsed.
21) The Elazig quake followed deadly temblors in Haiti and Chile, but Bernard Doft, the seismologist for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in Utrecht, said there was no direct connection between the three.
22) "These events are too far apart to be of direct influence to each other," he said.
23) Richard Luckett, a seismologist from the British Geological Survey, said there has not been a spike in global seismic activity.
24) "If there was a big increase in the number of magnitude 6.0s in the past decade we would know it because we would see it in the statistics," Luckett said. "We haven't seen an increase in 7.0s either."
25) He said scientists often see strong quakes but they don't get reported because the damage or death toll is minimal.
26) "The point is that earthquakes are common and always have been," he said.


Strong earthquake slams eastern Turkey, kills 51
(APW_ENG_20100308.0755)
1) A strong, pre-dawn earthquake knocked down stone and mud-brick houses, barns and minarets in eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 51 people in five villages, the government said.
2) The earthquake surprised many residents as they slept, crumpling buildings into piles of rubble. Panicked survivors fled into narrow village streets, some climbing out of windows, as nearly 80 aftershocks measuring up to 5.5 and 5.3 magnitude rattled the region.
3) The Kandilli seismology center said the 6.0-magnitude quake hit at 4:32 a.m. (0232 GMT, 9 p.m. EST Sunday) near the village of Basyurt in a remote, sparsely populated area of Elazig province. The region is 340 miles (550 kilometers) east of Ankara, the capital.
4) The U.S. Geological Survey listed the quake at 5.9 magnitude.
5) The government initially put the death toll at 57 but later lowered it to 51 with no explanation. In addition to the deaths, 34 people were being treated for injuries, Turkey's crisis center said.
6) The damage appeared worst in the village of Okcular, where at least 15 of the village's 900 residents were killed, the Elazig governor's office said.
7) As relatives rushed in for news of their loved ones, authorities blocked off the area so ambulances and rescue teams could maneuver up Okcular's narrow, steep roads. Residents lit fires to keep warm in the winter cold, with snow-covered mountains in the background.
8) "The village is totally flattened," village administrator Hasan Demirdag told private NTV television.
9) Resident Ali Riza Ferhat said he was woken up by the jolt.
10) "I tried to get out of the door but it wouldn't open. I came out of the window and started helping my neighbors," he told NTV television. "We removed six bodies."
11) Video footage showed men using shovels and their bare hands to dig two bodies out from under piles of dirt, rubble and concrete blocks that used to be homes. Both bodies were covered in blankets and carried away. One appeared to be a baby or young child.
12) Women in veils gathered near the rescue scenes, some crying.
13) "Everything has been knocked down, there is not a stone in place," said Yadin Apaydin, administrator for the village of Yukari Kanatli, where three people died.
14) Another 15 people were killed in the nearby village of Yukari Demirci, Gov. Muammer Erol said, four each were killed in the villages of Kayalik and Gocmezler and 10 others died after being taken to a hospital in the town of Kovancilar.
15) The temblor also knocked down barns, killing many farm animals. A half-dozen dead cows could be seen partially buried in the dirt near one collapsed home.
16) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kandilli Observatory's director, Mustafa Erdik, urged residents not to enter any damaged homes, warning they could topple from aftershocks that Erdik said could last for days.
17) Erdogan blamed the region's mud-brick buildings for the many deaths and said the government housing agency will build quake-proof homes in the area. He said ambulance helicopters, prefabricated homes and mobile kitchens were being rushed in, and Turkey's Red Crescent aid group sent tents and blankets.
18) The quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, where residents fled to the streets in panic and stayed outdoors. Schools were closed for two days in the region. In Tunceli province, students were sent home after the quake caused a school's walls to crack, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
19) A museum in Elazig displaying artifacts from the Iron-age Kingdom of Urartu was not affected by the quake, and nearby dams were also intact.
20) Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies on top of two main fault lines. In 1999, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people. In 2003, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed 177 people in Bingol, including 84 children whose school dormitory collapsed.
21) The Elazig quake followed deadly temblors in Haiti and Chile, but Bernard Doft, the seismologist for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in Utrecht, said there was no direct connection between the three.
22) "These events are too far apart to be of direct influence to each other," he said.
23) Richard Luckett, a seismologist from the British Geological Survey, said there has not been a spike in global seismic activity.
24) "If there was a big increase in the number of magnitude 6.0s in the past decade we would know it because we would see it in the statistics," Luckett said. "We haven't seen an increase in 7.0s either."
25) He said scientists often see strong quakes but they don't get reported because the damage or death toll is minimal. According to USGS data, the world is hit by about 134 earthquakes a year in the 6.0- to 6.9-magnitude range -- or about two a week.
26) "The point is that earthquakes are common and always have been," he said.