Death toll rises to 217 after massive earthquake in Turkey

Roughly 20 aftershocks rattled the city in eastern Turkey in one of the nation's poorest areas. The largest had a magnitude of 6.0.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters the death toll is likely to climb, as rescue teams work through the night to save people still trapped in the rubble.

The prime minister said 55 buildings collapsed in Ercis on the north shore of Lake Van, while the Turkish Red Crescent had said earlier that some 25 apartment buildings and a student dormitory collapsed in the town.

Irhal.com urges traveller's to avoid visiting Turkey at this time.