Search ends in Turkey for survivors

With little hope of finding more people alive a week after the earthquake that rocked eastern Turkey, focus shifted yesterday to the plight of survivors stuck in tents in freezing rain and snow.
The United States was the latest country to offer help, with the Pentagon saying Friday that US military aircraft were to begin delivering relief supplies from US military bases in Europe.
In all, 187 people have been pulled out alive from debris after the 7.2 magnitude quake ripped through eastern Van province. An official toll Friday night said 576 people had died and 2,608 were wounded in the disaster.
The quake, Turkey's worst in years, also killed a lot of livestock, one of the region's main sources of income.
Fresh snow and rain in Van province ensured more misery for survivors camping out in tents fearing more building collapses in aftershocks, with some camps turned into mudbaths.
Saturday marked the 88th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish republic on October 29, 1923, but celebrations -- including traditional military parades -- were called off because of the disaster.
Turkey has accepted help from dozens of countries, including Israel and Armenia, both states with which it has frosty relations.
With Islam's Eid al-Adha festival of sacrifice coming on November 6, the Turkish Red Crescent would distribute the meat of 500 cattle in the region, Anatolia news agency reported.
More than 5,000 buildings collapsed across the province, reviving debate over the construction sector.