A TURKISH takeaway owner is anxiously awaiting news from his wife and three children on holiday in earthquake-shattered Turkey.

Erdogan Simsek's wife and three children are staying less than ten miles away from the epicentre where the quake struck.

Erdogan, 38, who has run the Happy Haddock takeaway in Darwen Street, Blackburn, for more than a decade, has been glued to the news for two days.

Confusion still reigns in Turkey and latest estimates put the death toll at more than 4,000.

Erdogan lives in the Great Lever area of Bolton with his wife Fidan, their two daughters Senay, 14, and Alev, ten, and their son Harkan, six.

He last heard from his family on Monday just hours before disaster struck. The family were due to return to Britain at the end of August but nothing has been heard from them for three days.

He said: "The place where they are staying is just ten miles away from the centre of the earthquake.

"I have been watching the Turkish news channels in the hoping of seeing their faces but I have heard nothing at all from them yet.

"I am worried sick about them but there is nothing I can do at the moment except wait and hope they are all right and have not been injured. According to the news there is only one person who has died at the place where they are staying, so that has given me some hope. "I feel like my hands are tied at the moment because it would take me days to get to where they are staying but there is nothing I can do in this country but wait and hope for the best."

Erdogan added: "There are about ten or 12 Turkish people in Blackburn and they all come into the shop. Everyone is desperate for news of friends and relatives but there has been nothing coming out of Turkey because all the phone lines are down."

Another take-away owner, Guven Gozacan, was relieved to get a telephone call from his brother, Rasim, 43, and sister, Safak, 39, four hours after vibrations from the earthquake reached Istanbul.

Guven, 30, of Shuttleworth Street, Earby, runs the Mediterranean Turkish take-away in Redearth Road, Darwen. He has been in regular contact with relatives.

He said: "My brother and sister live quite high up in apartment blocks but luckily they were not hurt, although they are both still in shock and are worried about the future."

Three East Lancashire firefighters are among a crew due to fly to Turkey today to help find survivors. Divisional officer Pete Thorne from Burnley is leading the team, which also includes station officer Andy Barnes and firefighter Mark Southworth, both from Blackburn.

They are taking thermal imaging cameras and heavy lifting gear.

The team has previous experience of disasters in Armenia, Iran, Colombia and Macedonia.

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