[5] It occurred at a shallow depth, causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and lighter tremors across neighboring parts of the South Caucasus and Levant.

An offset of about 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) has been estimated at 10–15 kilometres (9.3 mi) depth but there is no visible rupture of the ground surface.

[14] Due to its great intensity and shallow depth, the earthquake produced significant ground motions across a large area.

[5] Lighter but well-felt ground motions (MM V–III) spread much farther across the region, extending into surrounding countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Syria.

[17] The earthquakes affected much of eastern Turkey, demolishing hundreds of buildings and burying numerous victims under the rubble.

[18] Most of the buildings collapsed along the town's main road and were residential, raising the possibility of a higher death toll.

[19] The Van Ferit Melen Airport was damaged, but contradictory reports were given: According to NTV, airplanes were diverted to the neighboring cities, while according to the Anatolia News Agency, the earthquake did not disrupt the air traffic.

[21][22] The natural gas, water, power, and communication systems in Van were all reported affected and in function again within 24 hours after the earthquake.

[23] As of 25 October, rescue and aid efforts are still ongoing, as many as 40,000 people are believed to be homeless due to the considerable number of collapsed or damaged buildings.

[8][24] Latest figures suggest that casualties exceeds 604 and an estimated 2200 buildings are damaged or destroyed in the affected areas.

There are now a total of 3,826 search and rescue officers, 904 medical personnel, 18 search dogs, 651 construction equipment and vehicles, including 146 ambulances, 7 rescue choppers (air ambulances), 46 generators, 77 projectors, 95 portable toilets, 37 mobile kitchens, 3,051 kitchen sets, 6,359 catalytic stoves and a mobile oven in the disaster area.

[31] According to Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency as of 30 October, 12:00 UTC there were 4,440 search and rescue personnel, 1,710 medical personnel, 18 search dogs, 651 construction equipment and vehicles including 146 ambulances, 143 generators, 77 projectors, 95 portable toilets, 42,711 tents (including 8,166 from overseas aid), 54 collective shelter tent, 69 general purpose tents, 65 prefabricated houses, 2,300 Mevlana houses, 160,360 blankets, 1,179 quilts, 37 mobile kitchens, 3,051 kitchen sets, 6,899 catalytic stoves, 5,792 sleeping bags, and 1 mobile kitchen were present.

"[34] Armenia,[35] Azerbaijan,[36] Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China,[37] Denmark,[38] Georgia, Germany,[39] Greece, Hungary, Iran,[40] Ireland,[41] Israel,[16] Japan, Kosovo, New Zealand, Pakistan,[42] Poland, Portugal,[43] Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan,[44] Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States also offered Turkey aid after the earthquake.

[31] As of 27 October, aid from other countries are as follows: Azerbaijan sent search and rescue team of 145 people, 1,250 tents, 700 beds, 40 generators, 5,000 blankets, 40 pieces of kitchen equipment.

[58] Rescue personnel were able to extricate twenty-three survivors from the rubble of 2 hotels and one apartment building, but the bodies of 7 others were also retrieved.

A cameraman for the Cihan News Agency had left the hotel just prior to the earthquake and said that some journalists trapped in the rubble in the building had sent text messages to colleagues asking to be rescued.

[59][61] A Japanese aid worker who had traveled to Turkey for the October earthquake relief work was reported to have been pulled alive from the rubble of the Bayram hotel but later died of his injuries at a hospital.

Residents were angry with authorities for not having closed the building after it suffered cracks and a damaged elevator in the large earthquake a month earlier.