Earthquake Today: Turkey 5.7 Quake Causes at Least 18 Buildings to Collapse
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 16 km (9 miles) south of Van, Turkey, the eastern province that was crushed by a 7.1 quake less than a month ago.
According to the Dogan news agency, the monstrous aftershock knocked down 18 buildings that were already on the verge of caving in. So far, it is unknown if anyone has been trapped underneath the debris.
The earthquake rattled the city at a depth of 4.8 km below the earth. Emergency service workers are already responding to the disaster.
Damage could be much worse than before, as thousands in the area are still homeless, living in simple tents, lean-tos, or pre-constructed shelters provided by other countries. The freezing temperatures will make living conditions even more difficult.
The last catastrophe killed almost 600, with thousands more injured and many more displaced.
Turkish officials were heavily criticized with their handling of the last quake; Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, blamed shoddy construction standards for the many collapsed buildings in the city.
These are the same buildings which fell down today.
