Building collapses in Van, killing vehicle operator

VAN

The incident took place during an operation to demolish a highly damaged building in Van, which witnessed more than 600 deaths during the Oct. 23 quake.

A six-story building that was damaged in the Oct. 23 Van earthquake collapsed during efforts to demolish the structure yesterday, killing an engineering vehicle operator who was trapped in the rubble.

The incident took place at 2:30 p.m. yesterday during an operation to demolish a highly damaged building. Rescue effort teams located the body of 37-year-old truck driver Recep Gezen under the rubble.

Schools start

Meanwhile, the new education term finally began yesterday in most parts of Van where schools had been closed since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern province in October.
Schools in downtown Van and the district of Erciş, the epicenter of the initial quake, however, have yet to start their new term.

The areas saw massive destruction in the wake of the temblor, which left over 600 dead and thousands homeless in the midst of an unusually cold winter.

Schools across Turkey began their new term about a month and a half months ago. However few students were reported to attend school on the first day of classes, Anatolia News Agency reported.
Students in the Çiçekli High School in Van’s Edremit district were taught about earthquake safety by their school’s administrators and were advised not to leave their classrooms in the event of an earthquake but instead maintain their calm.

A large part of the student body did not show up at school for the new term even though all the school’s teachers were present for their first day, according to reports.

Meanwhile, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck Van at around 12:15 a.m. yesterday, prompting a brief wave of panic, according to the Kandilli Observatory at Istanbul’s Bosphorus University.

The province has been hit by many aftershocks since the initial Oct. 23 quake. More than 600 people lost their lives during the earthquake.