Turkey, Syria earthquake: Over 2,300 people dead in 3 consecutive quakes

Turkey Earthquake: The first 7.8-magnitude quake wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities; the second 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and the third was 6.0-magnitude. The overall death toll has touched 2,300.

Turkey Syria hit with another earthquake of 7 6 magnitude live updates gcw

Gargi Chaudhry

First Published Feb 6, 2023, 4:38 PM IST | Last Updated Feb 6, 2023, 8:46 PM IST

The most powerful earthquake in nearly a century struck Turkey and Syria early Monday, killing more than 2,300 people in their sleep, destroying entire cities, and sending shocks as far away as Greenland. The 7.8-magnitude night-time tremor was followed by 7.6 and a 6-magnitude tremors, that jolted the region in the middle of search and rescue work on Monday afternoon.

In a message of sympathy and a call for togetherness, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "We hope that we can get through this calamity together as quickly as possible and with the least harm."

Raed Ahmed, the director of Syria's National Earthquake Center, referred to it as "the biggest earthquake recorded in the center's history." According to official media and medical sources, at least 810 people perished throughout Syria's opposition and government-controlled regions. The emergency services in Turkey said that 1,498 more persons perished there.

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After a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, the Kahramanmaras province of Turkey was struck by another powerful 7.6 earthquake, according to the Turkish disaster service. According to the Syrian SANA news agency, fresh tremors were also reported in Damascus, Latakia, and other Syrian provinces. The second shallow quake hit at 1:24 pm local time, 4 km south-southeast of the town of Ekinozu.

This occurred after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which occurred early on Monday and struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, killing many and injuring thousands more.

Also Read | Turkey-Syria earthquake toll tops 1300; rescue operations continue

According to reports, hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble and the death toll is expected to rise even further as rescue operations continue in full swing across affected areas. The death toll was anticipated to increase.

Turkey is in one of the world's most active earthquake zones. The Turkish region of Duzce suffered a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999, when more than 17,000 people died --including about 1,000 in Istanbul. Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, a megalopolis of 16 million people filled with rickety homes.

Also Read | Deadly 7.8 Turkey earthquake reminds the world of 1999 tremor

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