Turkey renews call for international aid in wake of second Van quake

Turkey said on Friday that it is ready to receive international aid, in particular tents and fabricated homes, after a second quake hit the province of Van in eastern Turkey on Wednesday. Turkey renewed an earlier call issued for international aid in the wake of the first quake, Turkish diplomatic sources were quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency. Van, which was hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Oct. 23, was struck by a second quake on Wednesday night, killing at least 22 people. The first quake killed 605 people and left thousands of others homeless. Turkish Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said that 30 people were pulled alive from the rubble after the 5.6-magnitude earthquake and 300 citizens affected by the earthquake were brought to Istanbul and Ankara. The AFAD advised quake survivors not to enter the damaged buildings. AFAD said 815 search and rescue personnel, 71 health personnel, 14 sniffer dogs, 62 work machines, 6,457 tents, 2,051 general purpose tents, 98 breakfast sets, 45,407 blankets, and 600 beds had been dispatched to the quake zone. The directorate said 22 ambulances, including three planes and eight helicopter ambulances, were also sent to the quake-hit province.