Relief Trains Held Up; Communications Again Cut; Casualty Toll Rising to 200,000 Dead Istanbul, Dee. 31. ITH communications between Istanbul and Erzincan, at the heart of the Turkish earthquake zone, again put out last night by new earth shocks, the entire Aegean region of Asia Minor between Smyrna and Brusa was reported to have been flooded by overfio, 1g rivers, Waters poured in torrents down the Kara~ cabey Valley near Brusa last night, flooding fourteen towns and villages, as relief trains attempted to reach the Erzincan earthquake area where deaths in last week's disaster may exceed 200,000.
The first military relief train arrived at Erzinean from Erzercum yesterday and began distributing medical supplies. The relief train conveying the Ministers of Health and Inter to Erzincan, however, was blocked by debris on the track following new violent shocks throughout the area.
Seventy per cent. of the population of Kemah, Plumur and Kigi, Rrzinean Province, were reported dead or injured as a result of the earthquakes, The combined popular tion of these towns is 111.500, indicat. Ing' that more than 75,000 persons this area were dead or injured.
"The frst oMclal casualty figures made available here covering only a few stricken towns listed 700 dead Amasia, 2.000 dead in Giresun and 5,000 dead in Tokat. Earth shocks were continuing at Amasia yesterday morning.
"The River Simav flooded Kematpasha where casualties were feared fo have been high although exact figures are not yet available, 'New earth tremors also disrupted relief efforts in eastern Patrolia yesterday: 'There were various reports regarding the Intensity of the new earthquakes. Some reports said between' 25 and 30 additional villages were destroyed in the Amasia district.
The military train which reached Eraincan yesterday carried 200 wounded picked up at, Malatia and Diyarbokir, Relief workers found it impossible to transport the wounded toward the east because roads and railways were under three metres of Foreign ald for the earthquake vie~ tims began arriving today. Thd first contribution to arrive was from Afghanistan, whose Minister to Ankara handed the Turkish Government £500.
The representative for the Canadian Government contributed 10,000,000 Tels to the relief fund.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.