ERCIS, Turkey (AP) — An Associated Press Television journalist says a 7-story building has collapsed two days after a powerful earthquake hit eastern Turkey.
The building, with 46 apartments, collapsed on Tuesday in the city of Van. It was not known if anyone was inside but witnesses say voices can be heard.
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| Emergency workers carry a youth they rescued from the rubble and debris of a collapsed building in Ercis, eastern Turkey, Monday, Oct. 24, 2011. Dozens of people were trapped in mounds of concrete, twisted steel and construction debris after hundreds of buildings in two cities and mud-brick homes in nearby villages pancaked or partially collapsed in Sunday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) |
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake has been followed by hundreds of aftershocks and authorities have warned survivors not to enter damaged buildings.
Thousands of people spent a second night outdoors in cars or tents in near-freezing conditions.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
ERCIS, Turkey (AP) — Oguz Isler was trapped for eight hours beneath the rubble of his home after a powerful earthquake that hit eastern Turkey. The 9-year-old was finally rescued, but on Tuesday he was waiting at the foot of the same pile of debris for news of his parents and of other relatives who remain buried inside.
Thousands of people spent a second night outdoors in cars or tents in near-freezing conditions, afraid to return to their homes following the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that has been followed by hundreds of aftershocks.
The quake on Sunday knocked down more than 100 buildings in two cities and mud-brick homes in nearby villages, trapping dozens in mounds of concrete, twisted steel and construction debris and killing at least 366 people. Some 1,300 people were injured.
Searchers on Tuesday picked through the ruins in the cities of Ercis and Van in hopes of finding more survivors. Dogan news agency said rescuers had pulled five people out of the rubble alive in the early hours of Tuesday, although many more bodies were discovered.
In the hardest-hit city of Ercis, where some 80 buildings tumbled down, Isler waited calmly in front of what was left of the five-story apartment block that used to be his aunt's home. The city of 75,000, close to the Iranian border, lies in one of Turkey's most earthquake-prone zones.
Turkish rescue workers in bright orange jumpsuits and Azeri military rescuers in camouflage uniforms searched through the debris, using excavators, picks and shovels to look for Isler's mother and father and other relatives still inside.
Dogs sniffed for possible survivors in gaps that opened up as their work progressed.
"They should send more people," Isler said as he and other family members watched the rescuers.
Mehmet Ali Hekimoglu, a medic, said the dogs indicated that there were three or four people inside the building, but it was not known if they were alive.
The boy, his sister and a cousin were trapped in the building's third-floor stairway as they tried to escape when the quake hit. A steel door fell over him.
"I fell on the ground face down. When I tried to move my head, it hit the door," he said. "I tried to get out and was able to open a gap with my fists in the wall but could not move my body further. The wall crumbled quickly when I hit it."
"We started shouting: 'Help! We're here,'" he said. "They found us a few hours later, they took me out about 8 1/2 hours later. ... I was OK but felt very bad, lonely. ... I still have a headache, but the doctor said I was fine."
Isler's 16-year-old sister, Ela, and 12-year-old cousin, Irem were also saved.
"They took me out last because I was in good shape and the door was protecting me. I was hearing stones falling on it," said Isler.
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