A MEDICAL MASK IS TIED ON A GRAVE MARK IN GOLCUK, 1999-08-25 (photo)

A medical mask is tied on a grave marker at a graveyard in Golcuk, August 25. Turkey on Wednesday revised down the death toll from last week's earthquake by over 5,000 to 12,514, acknowledging an error in its calculations. An official at the country's main crisis centre said a mistake had been made in counting the dead in the worst-hit province of Kocaeli. On Tuesday the centre had raised the toll to 17,997. More than a week after a devastating tremor ripped through northwest Turkey, authorities stepped up efforts to rebuild wrecked lives and towns. Wary of the risks of infectious disease, the crisis centre issued orders to raze and cart off the debris from thousands of collapsed buildings, many still containing trapped bodies.