Magnitude 7.2, Van, Turkey, depth 45km, fatal and damaging over a wide area

Figure 1

Figure 1 is trace from Seismic Monitoring & Research Unit, University of Malta. Link is numeric and might vanish, here

I’m having trouble reaching some montoring sites, with many servers down, presumably overloaded. There were two quakes, magnitude still being finalised. For first and main event 7.2 and a large aftershock at 6.0 News as I edit this says around 150 dead, estimate is 500 to 700 and I wouldn’t be surprised if the final toll is 1000. Turkey is highly seismically active so they are used to ‘quakes and as well organised as is reasonable. The weather is a problem, it is currently well below freezing and many many people are sleeping outside without shelter. Electricity and water is lost.

[update 5th Nov, Earthquake report headline is now “Earthquake Van – Ercis, Turkey – Death toll now at 601+, with 4152 injured, at least 8321 households long-term homeless”, which is right in the middle of the estimate figure — Tim]

Figure 2

Map from European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre

Figure 3, fault and historic quake map to 2009, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, Earthquake Department Ankara, Turkey

Site for the above image with more maps and some information about the current situation is here in Turkish unless you can get English to work. Van province is in the far east of the country. Detailed report which might be upseting are being carried by the excellent Earthquake-Report web site. Please return here later.