Afghanistan, Turkey: Landslide and rockfall after latest powerful quakes

[Sevan Makaracı]

AFGHANISTAN (Jun 11) :

Afghanistan Earthquake: Scores Feared Dead / Trapped In Baghlan Province After Landslide

 

Scores of people are feared dead in an earthquake and landslide that buried 20 houses in northern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said.

Details of the destruction were slow to emerge from the remote district.

Rescuers have so far pulled two women's bodies from the rubble of the landslide in Baghlan province and expect many others were buried, said provincial Gov. Abdul Majid. The U.N. confirmed one other death and said houses were destroyed across five districts.

An earthquake measuring a magnitude 5.4 struck the Hindu Kush region Monday morning, followed by a 5.7 quake, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Both were felt as far away as the Afghan capital, Kabul, where buildings shook.

2 strong earthquakes hit a populated area! 3+ fatalities + 70 feared dead after landslide

 

Two earthquakes destroyed dozens of mud homes in Afghanistan's mountainous Hindu Kush region on Monday, killing at least three people and trapping others under rubble, officials said.

Rescue teams were making their way to the remote Burka district in the northern province of Baghlan where around 20 houses had collapsed, the head of Afghanistan's natural disaster department, Mr Samim Afzali, told AFP.

'We have reports of around 60 people trapped under rubble. We still don't know whether they are alive or dead,' he told AFP.

The head of the provincial disaster management department said several houses and a school had collapsed but he was unable to confirm the number of people trapped.

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TURKEY (Jun 10) :

Powerful quake shakes western Turkey, no immediate casualties reported

 

Officials says a quake with preliminary magnitude of 6.1 has shaken southwestern Turkey.

The Kandilli Observatory seismology centre says the quake's epicenter was off the coast of popular Aegean resort town of Oludeniz. The quake rocked the area Sunday afternoon at about 1444 GMT.

Turkish state TV said some people injured themselves in panic after the quake, but it did not give any numbers. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Kandilli says the temblor was followed by magnitude 6 and 4.9 aftershocks.

Residents say the quake was felt as far as the Aegean port city of Izmir to the north and the Mediterranean city of Antalya to the east.

203 aftershocks hit the area in last 18 hours

Powerful quake caused rockfall from Babadag mountain in Oludeniz, which is recorded by amateur paragliders.

Following is screen capture from Turkish Kandilli observatory's official web page (http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/scripts/lst6.asp)

Powerful quake shakes areas of Greece, Turkey

 

A powerful earthquake shook Greece's island of Rhodes and southwestern Turkey on Sunday, but no deaths or damage were immediately reported.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute says the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 struck at a depth of 37 kilometers (23 miles) in the Aegean Sea at 3.44 pm (1244 GMT) on Sunday. That is between the Greek island of Rhodes and western Turkey.

Turkey's Kandilli Observatory gave a stronger preliminary magnitude of 6.1, with aftershocks of 6 and 4.9. Areas of Turkey shaken by the quake included the popular Aegean resort town of Oludeniz, the Aegean port of Izmir, and the Mediterranean city of Antalya.

Sources :

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/afghanistan-earthquake-201...

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_80970...

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/scores-feared-dead-af...

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kashmir-rocked-by-four-earthquake...

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/powerful-quake-shakes-areas-of-greece-tu...

http://news.yahoo.com/powerful-quake-shakes-western-turkey-no-immed...

http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/6-lik-deprem-oncu-mu-/gundem/gundemde...

Photo credit: Bob McKerrow

[Sevan Makaracı]

Another 4.8 hit same zone again yesterday;

http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/scripts/lasteq.asp

[KM]

Thank you Sevan, have certainly noticed an uptick in the quakes in the Mediterranean area for sure! looks like the plates are moving.