Turkey earthquake: Gainsborough shopkeeper returns home to deliver aid

A shopkeeper whose Turkish home village was hit by last week's earthquake is taking thousands of donated items out to the country.

Eric Aldogan, who owns the Community Shop in Gainsborough, said he had been overwhelmed by the public's generosity to his call for help.

More than two tonnes of items have been collected, including toiletries, clothes and hundreds of sleeping bags.

The death toll in southern Turkey and northern Syria has risen beyond 30,000.

Search operations are still under way as rescue workers continue to remove rubble almost a week after the disaster unfolded.

Mr Aldogan's family live in Afsin, a village about 15 miles (24km) from where the second earthquake struck.

Aid agencies have warned that the death toll is likely to rise as rescue efforts continue

He said he had had to wait three days until he finally got contact to hear they had survived but the village had been destroyed.

"It's painful, the pictures we are seeing are unbelievable," he said.

"People need our help, they have lost everything so I decided to step in and do something."

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Mr Aldogan, who has lived in Gainsborough for 20 years, has set off driving to Turkey to deliver the aid alongside a friend who lost five relatives in the earthquake.

"It's going to be hard but we have to get there and help," he said.

"We're going to go wherever we can, whoever needs help we're going to be there for them."

He said the community of Gainsborough had made him proud and thanked everyone who had helped.