Almost all of the houses and stables in the Gelenler (Qîratî) District of the Başkale, Van, which borders Iran's Xoy where a 5.9 magnitude earthquake occured were destroyed. Kaya family had to spent the first night in the tractor trailer they covered with tarpaulin. The family whose house and stables have collapsed, placed their beds in the tractor trailer and tried to survive the cold.

 

'MY KIDS WERE SO COLD LAST NIGHT'

 

Stating that their houses were completely destroyed at the night of the earthquake and they could not even get their belongings, Zeliha Kaya said that they stayed in the tractor's trailer until the morning. Stating that they had been given food by the Red Crescent and their tents were set up the next day, Kaya said: "We have not been able to shake off the trauma of the earthquake. There are constant aftershocks and we are afraid even here. Our children were very cold last night."

 

'I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SAVE MY CHILDREN BY BREAKING THE WINDOWS TO GET THEM OUT'

 

One of the family members, Kevser Kaya, stated that they hardly get out with their lives. Kaya who stated that she was only able to save her children by breaking the windows, said: "If I hadn't break the windows, my children would be buried under the wreckage. We stayed at the tractor trailer because we did not have anywhere else to go. We try to survive the cold here. Today we recieved our tent. We will stay there tonight. It is very cold here at nights. I hope my children won't be cold tonight."

 

'30 OF MY LAMBS FROZE TO DEATH'

 

Ahmet Kaya said: "My family stayed at the back of the tractor last night. I stayed out because there was no room left. I spent the night looking after the animals. 30 of my lambs froze to death last night."