- Title: TURKEY: ALASHEIR IN WESTERN TURKEY PARTIALLY DESTROYED BY EARTHQUAKE
- Date: 28th March 1969
- Summary: DEVASTATED AREA; HOUSES AND DEBRIS; CRUSHED VEHICLES; WRECKED HOUSES; PEOPLE CLEARING UP. Initials JH/VS/PW/PC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th April 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ALASEHIR, WESTERN TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Reuters ID: LVA73491NFNDTJGCMJ0AHO9972ST
- Story Text: FIFTY-THREE PEOPLE WERE ESTIMATED TO HAVE DIED LAST FRIDAY (28 MARCH) IN WESTERN TURKEY WHEN AN EARTHQUAKE SHATTERED ALASEHIR AND ITS NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES. ABOUT 2,500 HOMES WERE LEVELLED IN THE TOWN, 75 MILES (120 KMS.) EAST OF IZMIR.
THREE MOSQUES WERE REPORTED DESTROYED IN THE EARTHQUAKE, WHICH LASTED FOR 10 SECONDS. THE MOSQUES WERE UNOCCUPIED. THE MAYOR OF ALASEHIR SAID THAT IF THE EARTHQUAKE HAD COME TWO HOURS LATER THE MOSQUES WOULD HAVE BEEN CROWDED FOR FRIDAY MORNING PRAYERS AND THE DEATH TOLL WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH HIGHER.
THE EARTHQUAKE ALSO CAUSED A ROAD BRIDGE TO COLLAPSE AND WRECKED A GARAGE, CRUSHING 20 VEHICLES.
RELIEF ORGANISATIONS HAVE RUSHED 2,000 TENTS TO THE AREA TO PROVIDE SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS AND A MOBILE HOSPITAL HAS BEEN SET UP FOR THE INJURED.
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST CENSUS, ALASEHIR HAS A POPULATION OF 16,000. THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE TOWN AND THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES, HOWEVER, IS CLOSER TO 60,000.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASUALTIES IN FRIDAY'S EARTHQUAKE HAS YET TO BE ESTABLISHED BECAUSE NEWS HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED FROM 25 VILLAGES IN THE AREA.
MINOR EARTH TREMORS SHOOK THE AREA AGAIN YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) AS RESCUE AND RELIEF WORK CONTINUED.
A SERIES OF TREMORS VIRTUALLY DESTROYED THE SMALL ETHIOPIAN TOWN OF SERDO TODAY. AT LEAST 23 DIED IN THE TOWN, ABOUT 280 MILES (450 KMS.) NORTH-EAST OF ADDIS ABABA.
LAST AUGUST MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A SERIES OF EARTHQUAKES IN NORTH-WEST TURKEY AND EASTERN TURKEY.
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