Turkey pays over $745,000 in quake insurance

By Ali Korkmaz and Halil Sahin

IZMIR,Turkey (AA) – Turkey has so far paid 6.3 million Turkish liras ($745,160) in insurance to 153 victims of last week's earthquake, the country's environment minister said Thursday.

Murat Kurum said the Natural Catastrophe Insurance Institution (TCIP) is carrying out the damage assessment.

On Friday, a magnitude 6.6 quake rattled Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, killing 114 people.

As many as 36 quake victims are still receiving treatment, Kurum said, adding that seven are in intensive care and five are in critical condition.

As of Thursday, Turkey completed damage assessment of 210,000 sections of 34,072 buildings in Izmir.

A total of 231 buildings have been found to be severely damaged and destroyed, 1,834 slightly damaged and 251 moderately damaged, Kurum added.

He urged people to avoid entering severely damaged buildings.

A total of 1.9 million Turkish liras ($224,292) were handed out to occupants of 33 houses and 189 workplaces affected by the mini tsunami in Seferihisar district of Izmir province, he said.

Nearly 11 million Turkish liras ($1.3 million) in financial aid have been paid to citizens so far, he added.

A total of 8,553 people are staying in tents, he noted.

Turkey is among the world's most seismically active zones and has suffered devastating earthquakes in the past, including the magnitude 7.6 Marmara quake in 1999.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan