A number of buildings in southeastern Turkey collapsed in the severe earthquake.
(Photo: AP)
Istanbul More than 170 people died in Monday’s earthquakes in southeastern Turkey and northeastern Syria. At least 76 people died in Turkey, the state news agency Anadolu reported on Monday, citing the civil protection agency Afad. At least 440 people were injured. At least 99 people died in Syria, state television reported, citing the Ministry of Health.
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey early Monday morning. According to the civil protection agency Afad, the epicenter was in the province of Kahramanmaras near the Syrian border. Another earthquake measuring 6.6 was measured shortly afterwards in the province of Gaziantep. In an updated assessment, the Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam gave the strength as 7.8 and 6.7. According to official information, the earthquake was also felt in Israel.
According to Sana, buildings in numerous cities in Syria collapsed. Photos showed rescue teams carrying people away on stretchers. The head of the National Earthquake Center, Raed Ahmed, said this was the strongest tremor to hit Syria since 1995, according to Sana.
The rescue organization White Helmets, for its part, spoke of dozens of deaths. “We are responding with everything we can to rescue those who are under the rubble,” said group leader Raed Al Saleh. “The situation is very tragic,” said one member of the group.
According to the interior minister, several provinces in Turkey are affected. buildings had collapsed. Rescue teams from across the country would be pulled together. In addition, alarm level four was declared and international help was requested. There were a total of 22 aftershocks, some strong.
The AP graphic shows the approximate location of an earthquake in southeastern Turkey early Monday.
(Photo: dpa)
A number of buildings have also collapsed in the city of Azmarin in the province of Idlib in northern Syria.
(Photo: dpa)
Many rescuers in Turkey are trying to find survivors under the rubble.
(Photo: Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter, “We hope that we can get through this disaster together in the shortest possible time and with as little damage as possible.”
Turkey is repeatedly affected by severe earthquakes. Two of the largest continental plates meet there: the African and the Eurasian. In fact, most of the Turkish population lives in constant danger of earthquakes.
In October 2020, more than 100 people died in Izmir in one of the most serious earthquakes in recent years. In 1999, Turkey was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in its history: a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in the region around the north-western industrial city of Izmit claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people. Experts are also expecting a strong earthquake in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, in the near future.
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