Earthquake

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has left more than 33,000  dead and thousands more injured, on February 6, 2023

Following the quake  with a magnitude of 7.8,(as one of the strongest to strike the area in more than 100 years.)  At least 100 aftershocks, most of which had magnitudes of 4.0 or lower but one of which was significant and had a magnitude of 7.5, were reported by the US Geological Survey.  And there were three aftershocks that were measured to be 6.0 or greater. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) called for international help.

According to the Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, at least 5,606 buildings collapsed during the earthquake. El-Mostafa Benlamlih, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Syria, told CNN that numerous buildings crumbled and that more could potentially collapse in response to reports of similar destructions in northern Syria.

Journalist in CNN, Eyad Kourdi, who was in Turkey at the time, described the power of the earthquake as "biblical," saying, "The force felt like somebody trying to knock me over."

On the 6th of February, 2 severe earthquakes hit Syria and Turkey, resulting in a total of 4,300 fatalities in just a matter of 24 hours since the first tremor hit, which had a magnitude of 7.8 and occurred at around 4 in the morning.

It was expected that only 10 major districts/cities would be majorly  impacted by the earthquake, these include: Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis, with the epicenter of the earthquake around 23 kilometers away from the district Nurdagi, part of the Gaziantep province. 

Rather than having a major impact concentrated within these areas, tremors were felt across the Eastern part of the country and even throughout the majority of Syria alongside Lebanon, Greece and even Cyprus, though the death tolls weren’t as high as Turkey’s due to their distance from the epicenter of the quake. 

The initial quake wasn’t the only major tremor (which is why the fatality rate rapidly increased), since the magnitudes of the aftershocks were almost as high as the initial earthquake. Within 24 hours of the earthquake, almost 40 aftershocks followed, leading to devastating sites of fallen structures.

According to sociologists, the intensity and aftermath of the earthquake are due to two major factors: one being the fact that the earthquake originated remarkably close to populated cities to the point where fatalities were almost inevitably going to rise. Another key reason as per why the aftereffects of the natural disaster resulted in countless fatalities is likely due to the fact that the earthquake only originated 24 kilometers below the surface of the planet, implying that the seismic waves, caused by the constant overlapping of tectonic plates underneath the surface, were able to travel less distance before hitting. As a consequence of this, the shaking was far more intense than what it may have been if the earthquake originated deeper underground.

What separates this earthquake from the others would be the fact that the aftershocks were much more powerful than what would’ve been predicted. The initial quake’s magnitude was 7.8, which was later followed by a 7.5 magnitude tremor, which was almost as powerful. Whereas, specialists forecasted the most powerful aftershock of the earthquake would be around a 6.8 magnitude (only 1/30 of the first tremor’s magnitude).

As searches for missing civilians within ruins of fallen buildings commenced, the situation proceeded to worsen as rescue missions were delayed due to the aftershocks which impacted surrounding areas and districts which would have opted to aid affected areas if they weren’t so badly affected. Murat Gencogullari, a local who resides in Hatay, a neighboring province of Gaziantep, expressed that “Local authorities are struggling to cope but the damage is so widespread and heavy.” Gencogullari also commented on how the authorities were dealing with the situation by stating that “Local Authorities are struggling to cope but the damage is so widespread and heavy.”

Gaziantep, Turkey – The residents of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel woke up to a startling 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday, 6th February. More than 1200 deaths were confirmed in Turkey and Syria in the next few hours and many more were injured or in critical conditions. 

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit at 4:17 AM in the morning, which was followed by aftershocks as strong as 7.5 magnitude. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Gaziantep province in Turkey. Videos shared online show wreckage and rescue units searching for survivors in piles of rubble. 

On Tuesday, 7th February, 24 hours after the earthquake, updates confirmed that the death count kept rising. At that time, WHO officials warned that the numbers could be as high as 20,000. In addition to this, thousands of people were injured and at least 8000 buildings were destroyed. As of Wednesday, 15th February, the death count exceeded 40,000, and more than 8000 people were pulled out alive from the rubble.