Earthquake survivor Gozde Bahar is carried to an ambulance by rescue workers in Ercis, near the eastern Turkish city of Van, on Wednesday. Emergency workers rescued the 27-year-old woman alive from a collapsed building, nearly three days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 461 people and left tens of thousands homeless in southeastern Turkey. [Sman Orsal / Reuters]

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday admitted some early "failures" in his government's relief effort following Sunday's 7.2-magnitude quake, but said the situation was now under control.

"We accept that there were some failures within the first 24 hours," to transfer tents and aid to the region, Erdogan said in televised remarks to party officials in Ankara, adding that in disaster situations such mistakes could happen.

The Turkish Red Crescent had sent more than 17,000 tents to the area, which he said was "more than enough".

"The government and the state were mobilized with all its means immediately when the disaster occurred ... Almost a quarter of the cabinet is there.

"We have brought the situation under control in the last couple of days," he said.

Denying reports that there were some villages without any help, Erdogan said each village had received between three and 10 tents in less than 24 hours of the quake.

"We did not discriminate between Turks, Kurds or Zaza people ... We said they are all our people," Erdogan said.

The prime minister criticized some television and social media comments that described the tragedy as "payback" for Kurds, after an attack by the Kurdistan Workers' Party killed 24 soldiers days before the quake.

"All discriminatory attitudes or implications on social media and TV are inhumane and remorseless," he said.

More survivers

A teacher and a university student were rescued from ruined buildings on Wednesday, almost three days after a devastating earthquake struck eastern Turkey, but searchers said hopes of finding anyone else alive were diminishing.

Excavators began clearing debris from the collapsed buildings after searchers removed bodies and determined there were no survivors, as health officials warned of an increase in cases of diarrhea, especially among children.

"At the moment, we don't have any other sign of life," said rescuer Riza Birkan. "We are concentrating on recovering bodies."

The quake that struck eastern Turkey on Sunday has killed at least 461 people. Desperate survivors fought over aid and blocked aid shipments while a powerful aftershock on Tuesday ignited widespread panic that triggered a prison riot in a nearby provincial city.

Gozde Bahar, a 27-year-old English-language teacher was pulled out of a ruined building on Wednesday with injuries some 67 hours after the quake. Her mother watched the rescue operation in tears. The state-run Anatolia news agency said her heart stopped at a field hospital but doctors managed to revive her.

Earlier, rescuers also pulled out 18-year old university student Eyup Erdem, using tiny cameras mounted on sticks to locate him. They broke into applause as he emerged from the wreckage after being trapped for 61 hours.

The two, both rescued in Ercis - the worst hit area in the temblor that also rattled Iran and Armenia - were the last to be pulled alive.

AFP-AP

(China Daily 10/27/2011 page12)