Earthquake kills thousands in Turkey and Syria
Turkey and Syria were hit by three powerful earthquakes on Monday, causing massive damage to infrastructure and killing more than 4,000 people.
On Monday 6 February 2023 an extremely large earthquake occurred in the southeast of Turkey, near the border with Syria. The earthquake occured in Turkey and Syria. Data from seismometers which measure shaking of the ground caused by earthquake waves suggest this this event was a magnitude 7.8 out of 10 on the moment magnitude scale. The first earthquake was followed by a second of magnitude 7.6, and a third earthquake of 6.0 magnitude. More than 4,000 people have been killed. This is Turkey's worst disaster in decades. An earthquake of similar intensity occurred in Turkey earlier in 1939. More than 32,700 people had died. The quake was followed by dozens of aftershocks, which wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities. Many of these cities filled with millions who fled Syria's civil war and other conflicts.
In Turkey's Hatay province, the only runway at the airport has also been shattered and left fully unusable. A video of the completely destroyed runway has been shared on social media. It showed the tarmac split into two, forcing it to be closed for all flights. Thousands of buildings have collapsed, and several videos show the moment they fell, as onlookers ran for cover. Among the buildings destroyed was Gaziantep Castle, a historical landmark that had stood for more than 2,000 years. Turkey's energy infrastructure has also been damaged, and videos have emerged showing large fires in southern Turkey.Rescue workers and civilians passed chunks of concrete and household goods by hand in a desperate search for survivors trapped by a devastating earthquake. In some places around Turkey, survivors could be heard screaming from beneath collapsed buildings.
Freezing winter weather hampered search efforts for survivors through the night into Tuesday. Officials have counted more than 50 aftershocks within the first 10 hours of the initial disaster. They have warned that more would rumble on for many more days. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an international response to the crisis. The European Union is sending search and rescue teams to Turkey, while rescuers from the Netherlands and Romania are already on their way. The UK has said it will send 76 specialists, equipment and rescue dogs.
France, Germany, Israel, and the US have also pledged to help. Russia and Iran have offered to help both Turkey and Syria. The first batch of earthquake relief materials from India, comprising NDRF Search and Rescue Teams, specially trained dog squads, medical supplies, drilling machines and other necessary equipment, left for Turkey early on Tuesday morning, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to the quake hit country. Most earthquakes occur due to the movements of tectonic plates. And therefore Turkey, which happens to be situated at the junction of four tectonic plates, is one of the most seismically active countries. It is now facing the threat of a flood as a result of back-to-back earthquakes.Earthquake experts have urged officials to inspect the region's dams for cracks as soon as possible to prevent flooding.
Currently no tsunami threat to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea following the major earthquakes that rattled the Middle Eastern country.
