Image Source: Flickr

BY NICK ADAMS

ANCHOR CHRISTY LEWIS

The earthquake in Turkey is now responsible for over six-hundred deaths and rescue efforts are slowing down. Euronews has the latest.

“The search and rescue operation looking for earthquake victims in Turkey has been called off. The last person to come out alive was a thirteen year old boy earlier on Friday morning. The focus now is on caring for the thousands of displaced people.”

In addition to the 600 killed, the quake has caused over 4,100 injuries, and so far 231 people have been pulled alive from the rubble. CNN reports on government efforts to prevent this kind of damage in the future.

“Turkey's government plans to present a new law to parliament by the end of December which would see the evacuation of settlements in areas at high risk of natural disaster, Anatolia reported. Laws governing construction and property management would also be revised under the so-called Urban Transformation Law...”

The Wall Street Journal reports current construction codes may have been responsible for the widespread damage in Ercis, which had 84 buildings destroyed by the quake. The Journal quotes a Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers report, saying:

“Poor implementation of the new regulations means that many new buildings also are substandard, largely because civil engineers appointed by municipalities to enforce them are unqualified and frequently issue licenses without visiting the properties.”

CNN Turkey reports the government is taking the failed building regulations seriously. The government plans to rebuild, but first intends to investigate every building, street by street, and to review all former building investigations.

Government forces are also working to help the displaced and injured citizens. While early reports claimed the government was slow to react, a writer for Haaretz says the government has learned more about disaster response since the country’s biggest earthquake 12 years ago.

“Since 1999, the Turkish emergency services have undergone a total overhaul, as seen in the scores of rescue teams brought into the Van area on the first day. Another lesson learned was the wisdom of delegating dealings with the survivors to the Turkish Red Crescent ... which equipped itself with thousands of tents and the means for quickly setting up temporary camps.”