November 14, 1999
Web posted at: 5:04 a.m. EST (1004 GMT)

In this story: Hillary Clinton in Ankara before summit Other countries lend a hand 'Kaynasli was set back 100 years' More quakes possible; Istanbul at risk RELATED STORIES, SITES

DUZCE, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish officials rushed aid to the earthquake-stricken town of Duzce on Sunday, trying to avoid the criticism that stung the government after August's devastating tremors.

Officials said Sunday that 374 people had been killed and nearly 3,000 injured by Friday's magnitude-7.2 quake. Rescuers braved frequent aftershocks and shifting piles of rubble in hopes of finding more survivors, but cold weather was also chilling hopes of finding more people alive in the ruins of Duzce's shattered buildings.

GALLERY Chronology of major earthquakes since 1980     AUDIO Serdar Akinan, executive producer at CNN Turk, reports that authorities in Duzce were not prepared for the latest earthquake 332K/30 sec. AIFF or WAV sound   MAGNITUDE GUIDE Below is an interactive guide to earthquake magnitude and severity: Magnitude: Less than 3.5 3.5 - 5.4 Under 6.0 6.1 - 6.9 7.0 - 7.9 8 or greater   MESSAGE BOARD Mediterranean quakes

The death toll could rise sharply, officials warned, as emergency workers had yet to sift through most of the rubble. Hundreds of people remained missing. But a handful of survivors were found on Saturday, including a pregnant woman and two men pulled out alive from the debris.

Top Turkish officials, including Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, made a point of visiting the area Saturday. Turkish troops were sent to the area with picks and shovels, and earth-moving equipment quickly moved into the region. In Duzce, a farming town at the quake's epicenter, the quake tore out the center of a turn-of-the-century mosque, leaving only the walls standing.

The quick response drew good reviews, though some onlookers said they were waiting to see if the official appearances would translate into quick action. As winter approaches and tent villages spring up after the new earthquake, many townspeople wonder just how long it will take to get a safe and solid roof over their heads.

Weary and anxious Turks are huddled around fires outside shelters, some having lost their homes, others too scared to return inside buildings battered by the tremors. Transport Minister Enis Oksuz said the tremor could cost Turkey's fragile economy $10 billion -- on top of an estimated $12 billion from an August 17 quake in nearby Izmit.

The quake struck as Turkey prepared to host world leaders for a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The earthquake rocked buildings in Istanbul, 90 miles (145 km) to the west, where the world leaders are scheduled to convene, but Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said the summit would not be canceled.

President Clinton was expected to arrive in Turkey on Sunday night. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea, arrived in Ankara on Saturday.

"Our hearts go out to the families of the victims," Hillary Clinton said in a statement. "As President Clinton has said, America stands ready to help in any way we can."

A government crisis center put the death toll at 374, the Anatolia news agency reported. Citing figures provided by Health Minister Osman Durmus, it said 2,923 people were injured.

International rescue teams rushed to Turkey from Greece, the United States, France, Germany and Italy. A U.S. team from Fairfax, Virginia, was expected to arrive before dawn Sunday.

Zekeriya Percin silently watched as rescuers tried to reach the charred bodies of his 73-year-old father Celal and 19 other men.

"An aftershock knocked over the stove, and a fire engulfed the whole coffeehouse," he said.

Kaynasli, a wheat-growing town of 7,000 people, was one of the hardest hit towns in the region.

Fatma Demirci said four of her relatives were killed when her house collapsed during the earthquake.

"Kaynasli was set back 100 years," she said, gazing at collapsed buildings and a shattered mosque.

Bolu province is just 45 miles (72 km) east of the region worst hit by the August 17 quake. That quake, which had a magnitude of 7.4, was centered on the more populated coastal areas of western Turkey rather than the mountainous areas such as Bolu.

But the area hit Friday was already struggling to recover from the earlier quake. Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes still live in tents.

Dirioz said the focus of emergency efforts should soon shift from search and rescue to helping those left homeless by the quake.

More quakes possible; Istanbul at risk

Seismologists warned on Saturday that the country could be hit by more quakes, possibly closer to Istanbul, a city of 12 million people.

Friday's quake was not an aftershock to the August 17 quake, but the fault that ruptured near Duzce is part of Turkey's intricate fault grid, according to quake experts.

Berlin Bureau Chief Chris Burns and Correspondent Amanda Kibble, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Survivor message site (in Turkish)
Turkish Daily News Online
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Global Earthquake Response Center
Newton's Apple: Earthquake Info
Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute

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