Turkish PM thanks countries for quake assistance

Turkish PM thanks countries for quake assistance

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday thanked those countries that sent rescue teams and assistance to the quake-stricken eastern Turkish province of Van, during a visit to the western province of Izmir.

"I thank each and every country that sent assistance to the earthquake region swiftly, particularly our neighboring countries and others as well," Erdogan said during a visit to Izmir along with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

Rescue teams are fighting against time and cold weather to search for survivors from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the province of Van on Sunday.

Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Iran sent assistance and rescue teams to the region immediately after the quake struck.

Many other countries offered assistance as well but Turkish authorities said there is no immediate need for foreign assistance and thanked them for their good wishes.

The latest death toll stands at 364 with more than 1,000 injured and many people still unaccounted for.

Turkey, lying atop the North Anatolian fault, has been plagued by earthquakes frequently. On March 8, 2010, at least 38 people died and dozens of others were injured after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit Elazig province in eastern Turkey.

On Aug. 17, 1999, two powerful earthquakes, measuring 6.7 and 7. 4 on the Richter scale respectively, hit northwestern and western Turkey, killing about 18,000 people and affecting hundreds of thousands of others.

A major earthquake hit Van province in November 1976, with 5, 291 confirmed dead. The province has a population of just over 1 million.

Editor: Xiong Tong

English.news.cn   2011-10-25 20:00:20 FeedbackPrintRSS
ISTANBUL, Oct. 25 (Xinhua)