By Mehdi ZARÉ, Ebrahim HAGHSHENAS, and Morteza BASTAMI.
November 30, 2011. International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology.
Following the occurrence of an earthquake with Mw7.3 in Van, eastern Turkey, in 23 October 2011, a reconnaissance team of the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) visited the earthquake prone area from 17 Nov. to 22 Nov. 2011. The objectives was a reconnaissance visit and starting of technical observation on this event according to one of the IIEES’s missions: Learning From Occurred Earthquakes. The event has occurred about 150km west of the Khoy, West Azarbayjan Province of NW Iran, and was felt in this city and some other cities in NW Iran. The earthquake caused more than 600 life losses, according to official reports, and extensive damages in the cities of Van and Ercis in the Van province and the villages between the Van and Ercis. The region, especially the areas located north of Van suffered from mainshock and aftershocks, in particular the aftershock of wednesday 9 November 2011 (mb5.6). The extensive damages in the first event, has been intensified by the aftershocks and mainly the event in 9 November 2011, known by the local inhabitants as the “2nd earthquake” (since it was greatest damaging event after the first event in 23 October).
