Iran: Twin earthquakes strike northwestern Iran.

Saturday, August 11, 2012 – At 16:53 local time on Saturday 11 August 2012, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale and at a depth of 9.9 km hit the Eastern Azerbaijan province of Iran. A second earthquake measuring 6.3 struck 11 minutes later at a similar depth north-east of the city of Tabriz. The earthquakes heavily impacted three cities of the province, Ahar, Heris and Varzaghan. The province has a total population of 3,691,270 with many of the affected spending the night outdoors in the open.

More than 60 aftershocks have been recorded and official sources indicate that 133 villages were heavily damaged (between 50% and 80%) and 12 were completely devastated. The death toll currently stands at 300 and the number of injured rose to 2006 with reports that the number could increase further to 3,000 or more.

According to government officials, as many as 92 relief teams (with more than 860 staff) were dispatched to the area by the NDMO, the Iran Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and neighboring provinces. These include 15 Search and Rescue (SAR) teams, 3 helicopters, 71 ambulances and 40 operational cars. As many as 12 life detectors have been made available. National authorities have not declared an emergency situation and have not requested international assistance.

CMAT continues to monitor.

Haïti – Two years later…

,
A weary CMAT volunteer sits in the stadium stands, overlooking a displaced persons camp in Léogâne, Haiti. January 2010.

A weary CMAT volunteer sits in the stadium stands, overlooking a displaced persons camp in Léogâne, Haiti. January 2010.

Thursday, January 12, 2012 – Today marks the second anniversary since the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. It left in its wake a trail of massive destruction, including more than 200,000 people dead and 2.3 million people displaced.

Two years on, a massive humanitarian operation has yielded remarkable results and continues to save lives, but the humanitarian crisis in the country is not over.

Read more

Turkey: CMAT stands down deployment after Turkish PM announces no need for international assistance.

,

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 – In the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s earthquake, the Turkish government and local NGOs swiftly took action, and dispatched aid material and domestic personnel to the affected region.

The country has substantial experience of delivering relief after quakes and has declined international aid. Officials now say they are in urgent need of housing. Some 2,000 homes have been destroyed. The death toll from the disaster stands at 459 people, with some 1,352 others injured.

The Deputy PM Besir Atalay, who is coordinating the government’s response at the quake zone in Van province, said tents were being assembled and food distributed as part of a major relief and rescue operation. He said that rescue teams have reached all the villages in the earthquake affected area. Most of the districts of Van and Ercis have now reestablished electricity and phone lines back to normal, and added that all other services will soon be reestablished.

Dozens of aftershocks over 5 magnitude were reported. According to media reports, residents spent the night outdoors and lit campfires, while the Turkish Red Crescent began to set up tents in a stadium and provide other supplies to Van from their logistics depots in various neighbouring provinces in the region. Others sought shelter with relatives in nearby villages.

The Turkish Red Crescent and the military are playing leading roles in the provision of the emergency relief. The Turkish military assigned three cargo planes for use by AFAD to transport relief aid. The Turkish military also dispatched to the region five battalions including rescue teams. Psychosocial and social support services have been assigned through the Governor of Van.

The Ministry of Health is also present in the region with ambulance planes, personnel and field hospitals, and other medical supplies. Two field hospitals in Van and two field hospitals in Ercis were erected.

In light of the Turkish government’s announcement, CMAT has decided to stand down a potential deployment to Turkey, and encourages donors to support the Red Cross and Red Crescent efforts in the region.

Canadian Red Cross Society – Turkey Earthquake

 

Turkey: Eastern city of Van hit by 7.2 magnitude quake

Courtesy BBC News.

Sunday, October 23, 2011 – A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit eastern Turkey, causing deaths and injuries as buildings collapsed. The quake hit just north-east of the city of Van, where Anatolia news agency said at least 50 people were injured. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said there had been damage and deaths in Van but gave no firm figure. Turkey is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on major geological fault lines. Turkey’s Anatolia news agency reported that rescue workers were searching the wreckage of a seven-storey building in the city for people thought to be trapped in the rubble. It said 50 people had been taken to hospital in Van with injuries.

Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said 10 buildings had collapsed in Van and 25-30 had collapsed in the nearby town of Ercis, Reuters news agency reported. In Van, local official Veysel Keser said: “Many multi-floor buildings, hotels and a dormitory were collapsed.” “We can hear voices from the collapsed buildings,” AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

The USGS has revised the depth of the quake from 7.2 km (4.5 miles) to 20 km (12.4 miles), which is still relatively shallow and has the potential to cause damage. Within one hour, two more aftershocks of magnitue 5.6 struck the same region.

CMAT continues to monitor the progress through its contacts in the United Nations and other partners, and is assessing the need to deploy an assessment team to the middle eastern nation.