ANKARA: At least 230 people have died and over 1,000 wounded from Sunday's massive earthquake that hit Eastern Turkey, reports on the ground said. Initial reports put the number of dead at 264 and at least 1,300 injured in the 7.2 earthquake that devastated the region near the city of Van, Interior Minister Naim Sahin told reporters. But Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said the death toll was officially at 239 at a news conference on Monday. “Two buildings collapsed in Van, but the telephone system is jammed due to panic and we can't assess the entire damage immediately,” Bekir Kaya, the mayor of Van, told NTV television. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan went to the area on Sunday to assess the damage. “There are so many dead. Several buildings have collapsed, there is too much destruction,” said Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor for the town of Ercis told NTV television. “We need urgent aid, we need medics,” he added. The state-run Anatolia news agency said rescue workers were trying to reach people believed to be trapped under the wreckage of a seven-story building in Van, close to the Iranian border. BM
