November 12, 2011 - 15:05 AMT
Van quake survivors face worsening conditions

Conditions are worsening for people living in temporary accommodation after the two earthquakes in eastern Turkey.

Many families are being put up in tents provided by the Turkish Red Crescent. Wintry conditions have set in and although some tents have electric heaters, people are struggling to keep warm.

Their own homes have either been destroyed or are too structurally unsafe for them to return to. One man said: “We are waiting for prefabricated houses. If they’re not brought here we’ll be staying under the snow like this. But we trust our government and hope they will send us homes.”

Latest reports from Turkish media say at least 25 people are known to have died in the second quake which struck the city of Van on Wednesday. A further 30 were injured.

In all, 28 people have been pulled out of the rubble and rescue efforts are continuing. But as the days go by the chances of finding more survivors are diminishing rapidly, Euronews reported.