Turkey-Syria earthquake: A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,500 people. According to the Turkish government, the death toll was likely to rise as rescuers searched for survivors among the rubble of collapsed buildings. Following this, the country declared seven days of national mourning.
Citizens witnessed three more powerful tremors on Monday, with officials warning people to be alert for more aftershocks. Rescue workers are currently removing slabs and pulling out bodies as desperate families await news of trapped loved ones.
“My grandson is 1 1/2 years old. Please help him, please. We have neither heard from him nor received any news from him since morning. Please, he was on the 12th floor,” Imran Bahur Cried at his destroyed apartment building in the Turkish city of Adana. His daughter and family have yet to be traced.
The quake, which was centered on Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahmanmaras, sent residents of Damascus and Beirut on the street and was felt as far away as Cairo.
Meanwhile, in a video address, Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay claimed such a disaster could occur “once in a hundred years”. While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the death toll could exceed 3,000 as rescuers pulled out the bodies of victims.
India sends aid to earthquake-hit country
As the devastating news emerged, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of life and assured assistance to Istanbul in difficult times. “India stands ready to provide all possible assistance to help deal with this tragedy,” he said.
“Saddened by the loss of lives and damage to property due to the earthquake in Turkey. Condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” Modi said in a tweet. Tagging a tweet by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the earthquake, the Prime Minister said, “India stands in solidarity with the people of Turkey and is ready to provide all possible assistance to deal with this tragedy.”
Why Turkey is Vulnerable to Earthquakes,
Earthquakes usually depend on the geographic settings and movement of tectonic plates. In the case of Turkey, it is located primarily on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia.
The region lies on top of major fault lines and is considered the most earthquake-prone country in the world. The region lies on the Anatolian tectonic plate which consists of three major tectonic plates – African, Arabian and Eurasian.
According to real-time seismic applications in determining Turkey’s seismicity and earthquake hazard, the Turkish/Anatolian Plate is bounded by the African and Arabian plates to the south, the Eurasian plate to the north, and the Aegean plate to the west. Relative motion between the African, Arabian and Eurasian plates is responsible for most of the tectonic activity in the region. As a result, the Anatolian Plate has a high risk of seismicity.
History of Deadly Earthquakes
In December of 1939, the country witnessed a major 8.0 earthquake near the eastern city of Erzincan. According to media reports, the strong earthquake is believed to be the second most powerful earthquake in the country. As per reports, more than 20,000 people were killed and around 1,20,000 buildings were damaged.
After massive destruction, it saw another five disasters between 1942 and 1967. However, on the fateful day of 17 August 1999, a 7.4-strong earthquake struck near the north-eastern city of Izmit, killing over 18,000 people and leaving over two and a half million people homeless. In 2011, another powerful earthquake killed more than 130 people in the country.