Monday, February 6, 2023
Over 500 dead after 7.8 magnitude Earthquake hits Turkey and Syria
In one of the strongest earthquakes ever happen in the region in the last 100 years, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck early on Monday morning and killed hundreds of people in Turkey and Syria while they slept. Follow Saudi Expatriates on Google News
The earthquake destroyed significant areas of major cities in a region where millions of refugees have fled the Syrian civil war and other conflicts, causing thousands more injuries.
- By 7 AM (GMT), at least 284 people had died in Turkey, and 245 in the northern regions of Syria held by pro-Turkish groups and the government.
- The death toll was expected to rise as rescue teams and locals desperately looked for survivors in the ruins of demolished buildings in cities on both sides of the border. Join Saudi Expatriates channel on Telegram
- Near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which has a population of roughly 2 million, the earthquake struck at 4.17 am local time (1.17 am GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 km (11 miles). The first earthquake, according to Turkey's AFAD emergency service center, had a magnitude of 7.4 and was followed by more than 40 aftershocks.
- As rescue teams raced to discover survivors on Monday morning, the number of verified casualties quickly increased. Lebanon, Greece, Israel, and the island of Cyprus all experienced tremors.
- The head of the Turkish Red Cross asked residents to leave damaged homes as resources were being prepared for the area.
- Rescuers could be seen digging through the wreckage of demolished buildings in the cities of Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, which were both completely destroyed. Recommend : Like and Follow Saudi Expatriates page on Facebook
- In the cities of Adiyaman, Malatya, and Diyarbakir, as terrified citizens fled onto the street, buildings also collapsed.
- Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus, where Russia is renting a naval facility, were among the areas where damage was reported by the Syrian health ministry.
- In order to save the numerous individuals believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings in the vicinity of Idlib and throughout opposition-held territories in northwest Syria, the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, proclaimed a state of emergency. Follow Saudi Expatriates on Twitter
