Earthquake in Van, Turkey - 7.2 quake 23/10/2011
Turkey - A large earthquake hit Van Province in eastern Turkey on Sunday. The exact extent of the damage remains unclear but it is reported that the village of Ercis has seen a number of buildings collapse. The mayor of the town was quoted as saying, 'There are so many dead. Several buildings have collapsed. There is too much destruction. We need urgent aid. We need medics.' Both the United States Geological Survey and the Turkish National Earthquake Monitoring Centre have reported the magnitude of the earthquake as 7.2. The Turkish Kandilli Research Institute has estimated the death toll could be in the range of 500 to 1,000..