Quake Latest: Turkish Rescuers Race Against Time in Cold Weather

Emergency teams are racing against time to rescue potentially thousands of victims trapped in the rubble after 10 Turkish cities were struck by two massive earthquakes on Monday.

(Bloomberg) —

Emergency teams are racing against time to rescue potentially thousands of victims trapped in the rubble after 10 Turkish cities were struck by two massive earthquakes on Monday.

The death toll in Turkey and neighboring Syria has already topped 4,000, while more than 11,000 buildings have been damaged from the temblors, trapping many inside in freezing temperatures.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is overwhelmed by the extent of the logistical problems and aid needed to assist the 13.4 million people living in the area affected by the disaster.

The twin earthquakes had magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, striking Turkey’s southeast and causing widespread destruction there and in neighboring Syria. Roads and airports were damaged, while crude-oil flows to a key export terminal were halted for more than 24 hours as a precaution.

Key Developments

Quake Toll Hits 4,000 in Turkey, Syria as Overseas Aid Flows
Turkey Orders Restart of Crude Oil Flows to Ceyhan Terminal
CityLab Daily: The City Hardest-Hit by Turkey’s Earthquake
BTC Oil Port to Stay Shut Through Weds After Quake: Port Agent
Twin Turkey Quakes Kill Thousands: Mideast Newsletter

(All times Istanbul, GMT +3)

Turkish Death Toll Continues to Climb (11:38 a.m.)

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay updated the number of fatalities to 3,419, with 20,534 injured. In Syria, more than 1,000 were confirmed dead, according to the Associated Press.

Turkey Orders Resumption of Crude Oil Flow to Ceyhan Terminal (11:20 a.m.)

Turkey ordered the restart of oil flows to its Ceyhan export terminal on the Mediterranean, according to an official with direct knowledge of the matter. The state pipeline operator had halted flows as a precaution on Monday morning and gave the restart order after completing its checks, the official said, adding that flows would begin shortly.

Turkish Aid Workers, Ships, Planes in Emergency Response (10:40 a.m.)

Turkey said it deployed a total of 24,443 rescue workers, 10 ships and more than 50 airplanes to pull victims out of damaged buildings and evacuate some of the injured from the disaster zone.

Oil Prices Up on Ceyhan Exports Halt (10:24 a.m.)

Oil prices were up on Tuesday partly due to a halt in exports from Turkey’s Ceyhan terminal on the Mediterranean.

The facility at Ceyhan serving Azeri oil will be shut on Tuesday and Wednesday, Tribeca Shipping, a port agent, said on Monday. It’s unclear if the rest of the terminal — including parts handling Iraqi flows — will also be shut for that period.

Turkish Stocks Extend Slide (10:20 a.m.)

Turkey’s benchmark stock index fell as much as 3.8% in early trades, following a 1.4% decline on Monday. The drop was led by Turkish Airlines and Tupras refinery, while cement companies extended their rally into a second day.

The Turkish Capital Markets Board rolled back some of the measures it imposed on Monday but its short selling ban on stocks will continue. The Turkish lira was little changed at 18.8331 per the US dollar.

Iskenderun Port Blaze Rages (6:00 a.m.)

Firefighters have been battling flames in a section of the Iskenderun port on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, damaging an area where there were a number of shipping containers, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

International Aid Begins to Arrive in Turkey (2:27 a.m.)

Rescue teams from Romania, Switzerland, Azerbaijan and Lebanon have already been deployed in the quake zone, Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said, as part of a broad international effort to quickly respond to the crisis. Many other countries have also offered help.

The European Union has sent more than 1,150 rescue workers, along with some 70 dogs, in response to the quake. The teams come from 19 European countries, according to the EU Commission.

–With assistance from Firat Kozok, Beril Akman, Ugur Yilmaz, Taylan Bilgic, Inci Ozbek and Gina Turner.

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