Turkey Earthquake Pictures: Devastation on the Day After

Turkey Earthquake Rescue
Photograph by Abdurrahman Antakyali, Aatolia/AP
People search through collapsed buildings in the village of Tabanli, near the city of Van, hoping to rescue those trapped under debris—victims of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Turkey yesterday afternoon.
The Turkey earthquake, one of the most severe in the country since 1999, was centered just outside of the provincial capital of Van (map), near Turkey's border with Iran. The quake was followed by multiple aftershocks, including one that registered as a magnitude 6.0, according to CNN.
The disaster has so far seen a death toll of almost 300 people, and the number continues to climb. Tens of thousands of people are also homeless due to the quake, and rescue workers are setting up tents and providing supplies such as blankets and heaters to help people survive outside in the mountainous region's near freezing temperatures. (See aerial pictures of the aftermath of last year's Haiti earthquake.)
"It is a very urgent situation," Hakki Erskoy, a disaster manager for the Turkish Red Crescent, told the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper. "Right now, we are facing a race against time to provide shelter for people."
—By National Geographic Staff
Published October 24, 2011
Waiting for Rescue
Photograph by Umit Bektas, Reuters
After yesterday's Turkey earthquake, a young boy named Yunus waits to be rescued from under a collapsed building in the city of Ercis—on the north shore of Lake Van—early Monday. The hand of another, unseen victim rests on his shoulder.
Following the initial earthquake on Sunday, rescue teams began using heavy equipment such as diggers and cranes to remove big pieces of debris before going through the wreckage with picks, shovels, and even bare hands, the Guardian reported.
Rescuers worked through the night to find survivors. In many cases, workers found trapped people when the victims used their cell phones to call emergency lines, according to the Turkish Anatolia news agency.
(Related: "Earthquake in New Zealand-Pictures From a 'War Zone.'")
Published October 24, 2011
Collapsed Homes
Photograph by Osman Orsal, Reuters
Workers head toward a collapsed building in Ercis on Monday in continued efforts to save people trapped in debris following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Turkey.
About 970 buildings in the region were demolished by the quake, according to CNN, including about 55 structures in Ercis.
The earthquake struck in eastern Turkey, reportedly one of the country's poorest areas. The death toll due to collapsed buildings is being blamed partly on the prevalence of mud-brick construction in the surrounding villages, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a press conference in Van, according to the Guardian.
(Related: "Haiti Earthquake 'Strange,' Strongest in 200 Years.")
Published October 24, 2011
Standing Witness
Photograph by Osman Orsal, Reuters
Turkey earthquake survivors stand in front of a collapsed building in Ercis on Sunday night.
In addition to those who lost their homes, many people in the affected region are reluctant to return to the buildings that are still standing, and relief groups are now working to accommodate thousands of people in tent cities and other makeshift shelters.
A spokesperson with the Turkish Red Crescent said that up to 13,000 tents—each big enough to hold four people—have been sent to the quake zone, and the aid agency is preparing to temporarily house as many as 40,000 survivors, Reuters reported.
(Video: Earthquakes 101.)
Published October 24, 2011
Digging Crane
Photograph by Adem Altan, AFP/Getty Images
Turkey earthquake survivors watch as a crane digs through rubble in Van on Monday.
In addition to delivering tents and supplies, the Turkish Red Crescent is reportedly providing emotional support for people who've lost loved ones or who are waiting to hear about the missing.
"This is very difficult work," the Red Crescent's Erskoy told the Guardian. "We're working with psychologists to provide the best support that we can."
(See related pictures of the scene after a February 2010 earthquake in Chile.)
Published October 24, 2011
Huddled Together
Photograph by Mustafa Pzer, AFP/Getty Images
Wrapped in blankets against the cold, survivors of the Turkey earthquake sit on the street in Ercis on Monday.
Many survivors opted to sleep on rooftops or in the streets after the quake, either because their homes were uninhabitable or out of fear of the multiple aftershocks, CNN reported.
Some people even collected wood from collapsed buildings to burn for warmth, according to CNN reporter Nevsin Mengu.
(Also see "Rare Earthquake Hits Virginia, Rattles U.S. East Coast.")
Published October 24, 2011
Carried to Safety
Photograph by Burhan Ozbilici, AP
Emergency workers lift a boy rescued from the debris in Ercis on Monday, the day after the Turkey earthquake.
Offers of aid are coming in from around the world, but a spokesperson from the Turkish Foreign Ministry told CNN that, while its people are grateful, Turkey is prepared to handle the disaster on its own.
The country is "no stranger to having these seismic events," according to CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf. In 1999, for instance, a magnitude 7.6 temblor in Izmit claimed more than 17,000 lives, and a magnitude 5.9 temblor hit Elazig Province in March 2010 (pictures), leaving many villages in shambles.
Also see Japan Tsunami: 20 Unforgettable Pictures >>
Published October 24, 2011