Natural disasters, Turkey

Two significant natural disasters occurred in Turkey in February.

On Feb. 4, an avalanche in Van Province, eastern Turkey, killed at least five people. The next day, as rescuers were on the scene looking for survivors, a second avalanche occurred, killing at least 36 more people. An additional 84 people were injured.

On Feb. 23, in Iran’s far-eastern West Azerbaijan Province near the border with Turkey’s Van Province, an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 occurred, collapsing houses and killing at least nine people in Turkey and injuring another 37. In Iran there were no deaths, but 75 injuries were reported.