7.2 quake in Turkey kills 138, collapses buildings

[knight_shadow]

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Cries of panic and horror filled the air as a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey, killing at least 138 people as buildings pancaked and crumpled into rubble. The death toll was expected to rise as rescuers sifted through the rubble and reached outlying villages.

Tens of thousands fled into the streets running, screaming or trying to reach relatives on cell phones as apartment and office buildings cracked or collapsed. As the full extent of the damage became clear, survivors dug in with shovels or even their bare hands, desperately trying to rescue the trapped and the injured.

"There are many people under the rubble," Veysel Keser, the mayor of the district of Celebibag, told NTV. "People are in agony. We can hear their screams for help."

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[AGDee]

Our local news ticked me off. In fact, I might write to them. Their headliner for this story was "Terror in Turkey" with pictures of some of the damage. What would your immediate thought be? Terrorism, not an earthquake. Why would they not say "Earthquake in Turkey" instead?

That said... the devastation looks awful. Keeping these people in my thoughts and prayers.

[DrPhil]

The death toll is now a minimum of 200.

"Terror in Turkey" is a cheesy journalist catchphrase but I would not think terrorism. I would think that something has terrified people. But, the fact that some people now think terrorism when they read "terror" in that instance is why cheesy journalist catchphrases are often a no-no.