Syria: Turkey and Syria were slammed by a strong 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed numerous people, destroyed homes while people were still sleeping, and caused vibrations to be felt as far away as the island of Cyprus.
Although the initial death toll in Turkey was put at 53, it threatened to rise significantly higher because it struck while the majority of people were still asleep at home. According to official media, at least 42 individuals also perished in northern Syria’s areas under government control.
Damaging M7.8 EQ hit southern Turkey near the Syrian border ~4am local time. PAGER is red for this event; extensive damage is probable. Our hearts go out to those affected. See @Kandilli_info for local info. https://t.co/dMyc6ZVrE1 https://t.co/0OxrznZf1v pic.twitter.com/eco071JqVm
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) February 6, 2023
The United States agency reported that, the earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of roughly 17.9 kilometres (11 miles), and 15 minutes later, a 6.7-magnitude aftershock struck. The initial earthquake’s magnitude was estimated by Turkey’s AFAD emergency service centre to be 7.4.
The quake was among the strongest to strike the area in at least a century. “I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake. We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.” Turkish President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted.
Kahramanmaraş’ta meydana gelen ve ülkemizin pek çok yerinde hissedilen depremden etkilenen tüm vatandaşlarımıza geçmiş olsun dileklerimi iletiyorum. İlgili tüm birimlerimiz AFAD koordinasyonunda teyakkuz halindedir.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 6, 2023
The earthquake destroyed dozens of buildings in important southern Turkish cities as well as in the neighboring country of Syria, which has been plagued by violence for more than ten years and is home to millions of displaced people.
Rescuers were seen sifting through the wreckage of demolished buildings in the cities of Karamanmaras and Gaziantep in images that appeared on Turkish television and social media.
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